The Fannish E-Zine of the West Coast Science Fiction Association Dedicated to Promoting the West Coast Science Fiction Community #9 May 2008

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WCSFAzine

The Fannish E-zine of the West Coast Science Fiction Association Dedicated to Promoting the West Coast Science Fiction Community #9 May 2008

PROGRAM BOOK COVER FOR ALBERTA’S FIRST SCI-FI CONVENTION

THE ALBERTA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE, THURSDAY JULY 1ST 1971 1

IMPORTANT STUFF YOU CAN SAFELY IGNORE

WCSFAzine Issue # 9, May 2008, Volume 2, Number 5, Whole number 9, is the monthly E-zine of the West Coast Science Fiction Association ( founded 1993 ), a registered society with the general mandate of promoting Science Fiction and the specific focus of sponsoring the annual VCON Science Fiction Convention ( founded 1971 ).

Anyone who attends VCON is automatically a member of WCSFA, as is anyone who belongs to the British Columbia Science Fiction Association, a social organization ( founded 1970 ) which is the proud owner of the VCON trademark. Said memberships involve voting privileges at WCSFA meetings.

Current Executive of WCSFA: President: Palle Hoffstein. Vice-President/VCON Hotel Liaison: Keith Lim. Treasurer: Tatina Osokin. Secretary, & Archivist: R. Graeme Cameron. Member-At-Large: Danielle Stephens (VCON 33 Chair ). Member-At-Large: Deej Barens. Member-At-Large: Christina Carr.

Since WCSFAzine is NOT the official organ of WCSFA, the act of reading WCSFAzine does not constitute membership in WCSFA or grant voting privileges in WCSFA. Therefore you don’t have to worry about WCSFA policies, debates, finances, decisions, etc. Unless you want to. Active volunteers always welcome. WCSFA Website: < http://www.user.dccnet.com/clintbudd/WCSFA/ >

IMPORTANT STUFF THAT IS VERY COOL

Your membership fee: Nothing! Send your subscription fee to: Nobody! Your responsibilities: None! Your obligations: None! Membership requirements: None! Got something better to do: No problem!

WCSFAzine IS a fannish E-zine publication sponsored by WCSFA to promote and celebrate every and all aspects of the Science Fiction Community on the West Coast of Canada.

You can download the latest issue ( and past issues ) from < http://efanzines.com > or contact the Editor at: < [email protected] > and ask me to email you a PDF version of each issue as soon as it is ready.

WCSFAzine is not intended to be an information newswire service, or an industry promotional outlet, but rather an eclectic ongoing anthology of bits and pieces of nifty rumours and misinformation as viewed through a fannish lens. You can expect the focus to be on the West Coast, but with a peripheral vision including the entire world of fandom. Anticipate info on upcoming books, fannish events, local clubs and conventions, film reviews, short essays, weird cover art, spin doctor publicity announcements, peculiar speculations and astounding bits of trivia to put you in touch with your fannish heritage.

WCSFAzine is not intended to be the perzine of the editor, though I will filter everything through my alleged wry sense of imbecility humour.

You, and I mean YOU (!) are invited to submit short ( VERY short – say 2 to 3 paragraph ) articles, mini-essays, letters of comment, art fillers ( small pieces of art ) and/or cover art to the Editor at:

R.G. Cameron, Apt 72G – 13315 104 th Ave, Surrey, B.C., V3T 1V5.

Or submissions in both electronic text and B & W line drawing in jpg form to: < [email protected] >

Particularly interested in personal experience/view/opinion/review articles, preferably light in tone. Also any interesting news.

No pay, but plenty of egoboo. Cheers all! The Graeme 2

CONTENTS:

01………. Cover art: Bob Gibson 02………. Important Stuff. 03………. Contents & Editorial. 06………. How I Got Mugged, or, Late Breaking News. 05………. Hidden History of VCON 2: Part Four. 09………. CUFF Trip Report Part Two. 11………. Ad Astra 2008 Convention Review by Lloyd Penney. 12………. KingCon 1967, Toronto Triple Fan Fair 1968. 15………. Alberta Science Fiction Society Open House 1971. 17………. OromoctoCon 1970. 18………. Halcon 3 1980. 19………. Sci-Fi On The Rock Convention #2 a Success! 20………. Pre-Reg Now for VCON 33 in 2008! 21………. Retro Canadian Fanzines: The Voice #3 ( 1946 ). 23………. Taral Wayne Art Gallery Website Now Online! / Arthur C. Clarke: Fan ( 1917 – 2008 ). 26………. Latest Efanzines Added To Efanzines.com / Ask Mr. Science! 27………. 2008 FAAn Awards! 28………. 2008 Aurora Ballot Info. 31………. Ongoing Saga of Promoting Alyx J. Shaw’s ‘A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME’ Fantasy Novel. 33………. Author Happenings of Local Interest. 38………. Retro Film Review: The Slime People ( 1962 ). 40………. Upcoming Nifty Film Projects / Upcoming Conventions. 41………. Local Events. 42………. Local Sci-Fi Clubs. 43………. Non Local Canadian Sci-Fi Clubs. 45………. Canadian Sci-Fi Facebook Sites. 46………. Canadian Sci-Fi Websites of Interest / Letters of Comment. 49………. Ads for Them as We Like.

Note: All unaccredited articles are by the Ghod-Editor.

ART CREDITS:

Cover: Bob Gibson Derek Carter: 12, 13 & 27. Peter Barss: 19 ( photo ). William Rotsler: 28.

EDITORIAL

Great Ghu! Last issue I forgot to include a photo of Fred Hurter Jr. in my review of his 1940s/50s fanzine CENSORED. So instead of the usual generic clip art Space Cadet I have a photo of one specific Canadian Space Cadet, Fred Hurter Jr! Meanwhile this issue is rather late. It’s because I got mugged by a local strong-arm street thug and was in no condition for about a week to read, let alone write. I is better now, though still in pain. The full story follows this editorial. You know how faneds are, never letting any minor story or quote go to waste. Typical faned. I swear I had intended to review a number of zines. Had even gone to the trouble of downloading a bunch from Efanzines.com to read at my leisure offline. But fate intervened. This is why a number of the usual articles are missing. Still, this is my biggest issue yet I think. Methinks I should hold myself to 50 pages maximum, otherwise it starts to get ridiculous. Meanwhile I’ve begun work on the June issue, already have several articles completed…. Well, pasted in. Work I’d done in the dim and distant past which I thought worth reprinting. As per instance a review of FIRE MAIDENS OF OUTER SPACE, a ‘classic’ British film I’m certain you’ll enjoy reading about. Let the anticipation build! I should have the next issue finished by June 1st. Many thanks to Bill Burns at < http://www.efanzines.com > for hosting. Please send me feedback! < [email protected] > Cheers! Ghod-Editor The Graeme

LATE BREAKING NEWS

WELL, FORTUNATELY NOT QUITE BREAKING

OR: HOW I GOT MUGGED -- A NOVEL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE WITH THIS ISSUE

Here is the email I sent out a couple of days after the event:

Greetings all. Next issue of WCSFazine on hold for the moment. I got mugged and robbed Saturday evening walking home with groceries from Safeway. First blow to the head knocked me down, followed by multiple kicks to the head & body. Stupidly I got to my knees and tried to fight back but he pummeled my head with another 5 or 6 blows before knocking me down a second time. More kicks. At that point I realized he wasn't demanding anything, just swearing at me, for all I knew all he wanted to do was kill me, so I shouted "Take anything you want" at which point he said "gimme your wallet". I gave it to him. "Anything else?" he demanded. "No." "Don't move or I'll kill you". Whereupon he put the wallet in his pocket and calmly walked away. There were three or four people passing by on the sidewalk while this was happening but they didn't say or do anything, just kept on walking. The guy was a professional thug. Obviously he had targeted me as an older guy loaded down with groceries, an easy mark. I was cutting through a parking lot. He must have hurried along the sidewalk timing his movement precisely to swing around a skytrain pillar just as I was passing between the pillar and the corner of a building, about to step on to the sidewalk. There was no advance confrontation. My first indication something was wrong was a glimpse of his fist out of the corner of my eye just before it impacted the side of my head and knocked me down. Then he was all over me, punching and kicking and shouting "fuck you!' over and over. Intimidation tactics. The guy obviously does this for a living. God knows how many people he's attacked so far. ( The ambulance attendant remarked "Nothing but assaults all day on this shift. Typical Saturday." ) I got up on my knees, looked around, nobody stopping or coming over to help. Could still see the guy in the distance walking toward the skytrain station. I was afraid he'd open the wallet, discover it was empty of cash, come back and finish me off. I don't have a cell phone. Nobody was offering to let me use one. So I gathered up my groceries and staggered two blocks home, asking Alyx to call 911 as I came through the door. While I was waiting for the police I had the presence of mind to go online and transfer all my money from our joint account into my wife'’s saving account. He had got my bank card after all, also Care card, SIN card, BC ID, etc. But I don't have a credit card. So no loss there. However, he, or the person he sells my cards to, can open bank accounts in my name, apply for credit cards, have a false identity ( mine ) and cause me no end of troubles in terms of identity theft. I'm screwed there. All I can hope is that he belongs to the majority of strong-arm thugs who are only after credit cards and cash and throw the rest away, being too brain addled from drugs to do any long term planning. But I can't count on it. Meanwhile I guess I'm really lucky, considering how many blows and kicks I took to the head -- about a dozen -- and maybe a dozen more kicks to the torso. I bled from the top of the nose where it got mashed up a bit, but apparently no bones broken there or anywhere else on the skull according to the emergency medic who, it felt like, used his hands to see if he could pry my head apart. The pieces are still holding together it seems. Apart from a vivid chevron of red flesh under one eye and a small wound on the bridge of my nose there's no visible damage, not even the traditional black & blues. However, oddly enough, my body feels like it got the crap kicked out of it, the headaches are constant, I occasionally feel tingling similar to the electric shock of that first punch, and there are other transitory side effects that are a bit worrisome. I'll be seeing my regular doctor tomorrow. Sorry to ramble on, but this is the first time I've had a chance to sit down and sort things out ( apart from whatever statement I gave to the police, don't know how coherent I was ). Lessons to be learned though. I keep an eye on people in this neighbourhood as I walk, try to be wary. I've seen zillions of drug transactions, people in doorways & bushes shooting up, lost track of how often people have shouted, sworn or screamed at me, but this is the first time I've been attacked. I didn't see it coming. I couldn't. He blindsided me. He ambushed me. One second I was walking along, the next I was in a world of hurt. Plus that initial punch so stunned me the punches I threw were like punches in water, slow and useless. I only wish I had thought to give up my wallet sooner. But the first lesson is: don't take shortcuts. Stick to the sidewalk. Second lesson: don't carry all your id all the time. Chances are you won't need your SIN card on any given day. Don't carry your birth certificate in your wallet! ( Fortunately mine was at home.) Unless you know you're going to buy something, don't carry your credit & debit cards with you. Carry money instead. Third lesson: Always carry money. At least thirty or fifty bucks. That's all you'll lose, and the mugger will be happy and not get pissed off and come back. 4

Fourth lesson: don't argue, and don't fight back. This type of thug knows his stuff, and if you fight back he'll only hurt you all the more. He's done it before. He's done it often. He doesn't give a shit about you. All he wants is money. Give it to him. Fifth lesson: offer the wallet right away. It'll be less painful that way. Meanwhile I'm worried this is a local guy and our paths may cross again. Nothing I can do about it. Didn't get a good luck at him: my height, trimmer than me, short dark hair, short beard or stubble, close set eyes, dark jacket, dark pants. That's it. Too general. The chances of him being caught are about zero. So he's going to do it again. And again. Till he runs into someone who is tough enough to take the first blow and return it with interest. On the plus side I have some unassigned vacation days so I'm taking this week off to heal and run around replacing my id & stuff. If I have the energy. So, WCSFAzine may be a bit late. At least I've got a good excuse. Cheers! Graeme

I got mugged Saturday April 26 th . I’m writing this Friday May 2 nd . My week off to recover sorta worked out. The headaches are still constant, but much milder now, though the right side of my head still feels an odd combination of numbness and tingling from time to time, but apparently nothing to be done about it except wait till it goes away. I saw my doctor on Tuesday and he also concluded that no bones were broken. However one, possibly two, of my ribs are bruised, and they will continue to hurt until they stop hurting. Something to look forward to. Actually the chest pain seemed to peak on Wednesday, so the ribs appear to be on the mend. The bright red chevron under my right eye is now turning a lovely sallow yellow, so that instead of looking ‘beaten’ I now look ‘diseased’. Great. One way to get a seat on the bus. At least I didn’t get “raccoon eyes” i.e. goggle bruises around both eyes. Apparently that’s a surefire symptom of a fracture at the rear of the skull. Although my head still feels like it’s gripped in a vice, they keep telling me nothing is broken. I choose to believe them. While hanging around in various government offices to apply for assorted replacement ID I’ve been rereading the letters of Seneca ( who was advisor to Nero ): “Fortune does not just capsize the boat: she hurls it headlong on the rocks and dashes it to pieces.” Tell me about it! “Wild animals run from the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped from them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come. A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present.” I find myself extremely reluctant to leave my apartment except when absolutely necessary. And I refuse to go out after dark. I keep replaying that initial blow over and over in my minds eye, so the past continues to haunt me. And as for the future, I no longer trust any guy I see on the street, especially the ones who ‘look’ like trouble. Screw the real world. I’m far happier when I’m ‘cocooned’ at home with my wife, pets, film collection, TV, computer and books. The real world sucks. Bear in mind when people say the ‘real world’ they generally refer to life on the street and within the urban jungle, yet a modern city and the ‘life’ within is an extremely artificial construct, a product of criminality, advertising, false perceptions, dumb expectations and what Seneca calls: “the mass crowd…associating with people in large numbers is actually harmful.. I go home crueler and less humane through having been in contact with human beings..” Certainly I have no objection if someone were to kill the bastard who beat me up. No objection at all. So it seems Seneca knew what he was talking about. But getting back to the ‘real’ world. Remember the Beatle’s movie A HARD DAY’S NIGHT where the rakish old grandfather kept telling Ringo he was wasting his youth running with the band and he ought to go off into the ‘real’ world and explore? So Ringo takes off for a few hours into the British working class world of dreary 19 th century brick row housing and stagnant industrial canals and winds up bored and depressed out of his skull? Screw the ‘real’ world. “A wise man is content with himself…” and his loved ones, friends, and personal interests. That’s enough for me. I have no intention of wandering the streets looking for more. I’ve got all I need here at home. Cheers!

CONVENTION STUFF

THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF VCON 2: Part Four

THE 2ND VANCOUVER SF CONVENTION - FEBRUARY 18 th – 19 th , 1972:

by The Graeme

( Last issue described first part of Saturday’s events. )

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 TH , 1972. 5

Note: In my rush to complete last issue by my self-imposed deadline, I missed a panel. So, to set the record straight, here’s a recap of the day’s events:

9:45 AM – Talk: H.G. WELLS’ ‘TIME MACHINE’: THE FOURTH DIMENSION -- by Mason Harris ( described last issue ).

10:45 AM – Panel: THINGS TO COME -- Moderator: John Wilson. Panelists: Mason Harris, John Park, Susan Walsh, Ed Hutchings ( described last issue ).

12:00 –1:45 PM – LUNCH BREAK ( Films in ballroom )

1:45 PM – Talk: BELYAEV, THE RUSSIAN JULES VERNE – by Murray Shoolbraid ( described last issue ).

2:45 PM – SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES – Panelists: Marian Vaughn, Melez Massey, David Etter, Marilyn Wool, Jack Schofield.

This is the panel I missed mentioning. Have no idea what it was about. Social consequences of what, for instance? Watching THINGS TO COME? Listening to P.K. Dick? Being a Sci-Fi fan? Of the majority of the panelists I know nothing, having dropped out of BCSFA at this time and failing to attend the convention ( Arrgh! ), but I do remember Melez Massey…some time the previous year he borrowed the first draft of a Sci-Fi novel I was working on ( working title AGAINST THE MALUII …sigh…oh well ) and returned it a week later with a single-word comment: “Turgid”….sigh…oh well…

4:00 PM – Talk: THE HUMAN AND THE ANDROID: A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE AUTHENTIC PERSON AND REFLEX MACHINE” – by Philip K. Dick ( described last issue ).

5:30 – 7:00 PM – DINNER BREAK.

7:00 PM – Talk: FORGOTTEN HEROES OF SWORDS AND SORCERY – by Michael Bailey.

I’m aware Mike was keenly interested in the Sword & Sorcery sub-genre of Sci-Fi at this time – he had contributed an S&S short story to STAGE ONE, the one-shot clubzine published earlier by the UBC SFFEN – so this was probably an enthusiastic presentation on his part. Being on the subject of “Forgotten Heroes”, I assume he discussed the more obscure precursors in the sub-genre, created by writers like Clark Ashton Smith, C.L.Moore, Henry Kuttner, & Leigh Brackett, as opposed to the better known Barsoom series by Burroughs and of course, Howard’s ‘Conan’. ( Historical note: the term ‘Sword & Sorcery’ is said to have been coined by the author Fritz Leiber in 1960. )

8:00 PM – Midnight – CASH BAR PARTY

As was the case with VCON 1, there was no art show, no hucksters room, and no banquet, all because of lack of interest on the part of the attendees. Again Daniel Say and Mike Bailey functioned as Co-Chairman, and yet again, attendance fell below the budgeted break-even point. Fewer than 100 fans came, the convention losing $50 which Mike Bailey covered with his personal funds.

Oddly enough, no Elron Awards were presented this time. Though garnering many laughs at the first convention, some big name fans throughout North America reacted negatively on hearing about them, and the concept was dropped to avoid hostile pre-con publicity. ( The Elrons returned with VCON 3. )

"One last thing needs mention," to quote David George and Pat Burrows from BCSFAzine #100: "The first four Vancouver SF cons were held at times when it would be easy for UBC students to attend. The first was over an Easter weekend, and the next three were in February during UBC's midterm break, since a majority of the con members seemed to be students, and during the semester they would be in town."

After the convention was over Dick stayed with Province film critic Michael Walsh and his wife Susan, sleeping on their living room couch till he could find an apartment of his own. He turned out to be an exhausting guest, as Michael Walsh explained when I interviewed him in 1994:

"Following that particular V-Con I rashly invited the Guest of Honour, Philip K. Dick, to put up in my own home until such time as he could find himself his own digs. Frankly I thought, hey, this is a genuine story and perhaps, having been the

6 guy to break the story there might be a useful follow-up. And besides, it seemed like the hospitable thing to do for someone so obviously keen on our country and our city, and that was the beginning of an interesting encounter of the third kind...."

"...I can't pretend to have any profound insight into what made him tick. Dick lived in an alternate reality. He was in touch with voices all his own, and it was hard to know at any given time exactly which of his many realities he was connected to. There was no sense of being in touch with the person so much as the personality. More and more you had to wonder whether or not it was a personality that you wanted to spend a whole lot of time with..."

"...Here's an example. I have a phonograph record on which Marshal McLuhan put together music, bits and pieces of dialogue and assorted sound effects jumbled together that was supposed to give you some sense of McLuhan's thoughts on how the media work, and worked us over, as he would say. Well, we started playing this for Dick because we thought it would be the sort of thing he'd enjoy, and all of a sudden he started yelling, "Turn it off! Turn it off! It sounds like the inside of my head!...."

"....There was something scary about his detachment from what we think of as the real world. It's a detachment that I thoroughly enjoy, briefly, in a controlled situation like the movies. I find it very difficult living in a world where everyone was like Philip K. Dick, which is the kind of world he created in his fiction. It would appear that what he was writing was very much his take on the world around him...."

"...He could give speeches, exciting stuff, heady stuff, give you a little bit of an intellectual high, and that I appreciated. At close quarters on the other hand, it was too impersonal tracking ideas with him. He could put across with enthusiasm, but as soon as you tried to engage him in conversation about those ideas, he took that as a challenge, and rather than respond in a dialogue his tendency was to wig off into what I suppose was a kind of defensive manoeuvre; he put on a performance that precluded any kind of debate or discussion. I didn't like that. I really didn't. I wanted to talk to the guy. I couldn't. He couldn't. I don't know if anyone could...."

"....There was a superficiality and a degree of maliciousness that was not endearing. I was happy as hell when he did move out. Because it was getting a little tense....."

"...I wouldn't jump to any kind of conclusion, on the basis of the very little contact I had. All I can tell you is the reaction I had to what he did, rather than why he did what he did. It's the reporter in me. You gotta be accurate....uh, okay... the guy was a nut. But what kind of nut I don't know...."

"...Definitely an alien being was Mr. Dick...."

After two weeks, the Walsh's asked Dick to leave.

MARCH 1972:

I don't know much about Dick's subsequent activity in Vancouver. I do know he lived for awhile in a suite on Cornwall Avenue overlooking Kitsilano Beach, which faces English Bay, downtown Vancouver and the North Shore mountains beyond -- no doubt Dick enjoyed the view. As he put it:

"I rented an apartment in Vancouver, and found the science fiction people there, such as Mike Bailey, good new friends. I even met a new chick. It looked good. FM radio station CKLG interviewer Bob Ness had me on his show and we became close friends...." -- 'SF Commentary' #31.

"Close friends?" How close? According to Mike Bailey, writing in the April 1975 issue of 'THE LONG HELLO':

"When Phil was living in Vancouver, he was interviewed by Bob on CKLG-FM and was somewhat unimpressed by the attention Bob gave to the girl he had brought with him." -- 'The Long Hello' #19.

The "girl" was presumably the "new chick" Dick was seeing:

"In Canada I met a little black-haired chick named Janis the first five minutes of the Con, and fell in love with her...." -- 'The Long Goodbye' #20.

Still, despite Dick's jealousy being aroused, he and Ness evidently kept in touch. Then in 1975 something unusual happened, Ness apparently managed to convince Dick's current girlfriend (Tessa ) to fly up to Vancouver. As Dick wrote in a letter to Ness:

"Bob, as you know, I'm generally amused when my chick is ripped off because usually it's by some seedy guy within fist's reach, but here it has been done by mail and from another country by a famous and powerful DJ who earns huge and unusual profits and like that, so what can I do?.... Perhaps you would like to reconsider whether she is actually Miss Right for you.... if the above advice doesn't convince you to do what's right, I WILL GET YOU. Can you dig it? Please reply soon, as my patience is short. Formerly yours, Philip K. Dick." -- 'The Long Hello' #19.

The full letter is several pages long and reads very tongue in cheek. I don't think Dick was genuinely angry, yet Mike Bailey's comment makes me wonder. At any rate, the letter itself and the fact it was published in Bailey's perzine in 1975 is indication enough that he kept in touch with several Vancouverites for a number of years after his visit.

Still, as his short-lived habitation with Michael & Susan Walsh showed, he could be rather wearing on the people he was hanging around with. As he himself wrote at the time of his Vancouver visit:

"They think I'm weird.... I just bop around getting weirder all the time. Gradually everybody is beginning to realize that despite my fame and my great books I am a distinct liability to know or have anything at all to do with." -- 'Divine Invasions'.

Then came disaster. Shortly after he had a dream in which a mounted policeman rode a horse over his California house and crashed to the earth in a bloody sprawl, Janis left him. Dick promptly identified himself with "the broken horse":

"...then the new chick all at once decided to leave the vancouver area. My life fell apart again all at once, just as I was recovering from Kathy's leaving. I made an abrupt, almost successful suicide attempt..." -- 'SF Commentary' #31.

Dick tried to kill himself on March 23rd, 1971, by ingesting 700 mg of potassium bromide, a sedative. Then he changed his mind and called for help:

"Fortunately, Suicide Intervention (the BC Crisis Centre) intervened and suggested I go to a residence therapy organization called X-Kalay...." -- 'SF Commentary' #31.

X-Kalay, meaning "the hidden path", was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. He wrote this description of his suicide attempt at the centre :

"I was really down. The next day or so I had a total freakout, breakdown, identity crisis, psychotic break, convulsion of misery and just general bad time. Now I'm part of X-Kalay; they came in and scooped up the puddle of ooze from the floor of my apartment that was me, or what remained of me, carted me back to their house where they -- and now I -- live, put me to work, put my head back together enough so I didn't try to snuff myself every half hour, kept someone with me night and day.... and finally, a week later, I'm again beginning to function...." -- 'Divine Invasions'.

"X-Kalay turned out to be by-and-large a heroin rehabilitation organization, like Synanon in the US. Under their overwhelming attack therapy and heavy workload and discipline I soon got my head together, pulled out of my depression; within a week I had an office and typewriter and was hard at work doing PR for them. I found that rehabilitating former heroin addicts was the most rewarding, soul reinforcing pursuit I'd ever encountered...." -- 'SF Commentary' #31.

APRIL 1972:

Philip K. Dick stayed with X-Kalay a total of three weeks, enough to kick his alleged twenty-year amphetamine habit. In mid-April he flew back to California....

"Anyhow, I left X-Kalay and Canada on an invitation from the state college at Fullerton, California to fly down and supervise the archiving of my MSS at their library's special collections. So many of my possessions had been destroyed or stolen in Marin County that I wanted to turn over what remained to professional safekeeping...." 8

-- 'SF Commentary' #31.

I think it would be fair to say that Philip K. Dick underwent in Vancouver nothing less than a cathartic experience which exorcised some of his personal demons and allowed him to seek new goals. Forever after he usually referred to Vancouver with something approaching fondness.

1972 - END OF SESSION & THE DYING OF THE CLUBS:

UBC SFFEN, the University Sci-Fi club which created BCSFA and co-sponsored the first two VCONS, did very little after VCON 2. Apparently activities sort of petered out. A good many core members of the club graduated at the end of the academic year and were not present to provide continuity for the club in the following academic year (72/73). It is my understanding the UBC club was dormant during that time. I assume the hundreds of books and magazines the club owned remained locked in the club's lockers, awaiting renewed interest in running a University SF club.

Meanwhile the BCSFA enjoyed a kind of ghost existence, in that money continued to sit in its bank account under the sole signing authority of Mike Bailey, BCSFA's last treasurer. But for all intents and purposes, BCSFA was dead…. Pending a revival and the launching of VCON 3.

TO BE CONTINUED

A TYPICAL C.U.F.F ( Canadian Unity Fan Fund ) TRIP REPORT – PART TWO

By The Graeme

Being selected excerpts from my account, as 1997 CUFF Winner, ( originally published in issue #10 of my Perzine SPACE CADET ) of my C.U.F.F. trip to Primedia/Canvention in Toronto.

( Last issue covered Friday, October 31 st )

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1ST, 1997

I wake up to a steady drizzle of rain outside; what passes for normal Vancouver weather continues in Toronto. Seems I had a most difficult night, tossing and turning, falling in and out of sleep. But I feel much better now. Today is the big day! The Aurora awards! The Toronto 2003 Worldcon bid party afterwards! Yes, going to be glorious. A quick breakfast and I head down to the lower floor where most of the activities are taking place. Mike Glicksohn is manning the 2003 bid table again. I take out a membership, then engage him in conversation. He plans to retire soon and dreams of indexing his publications. Any spare ENURGUMENs I could purchase or trade for? Nope, only his own copies left. ( ENURGUMEN is surprisingly hard to find. I know two major American collectors who possess only the last issue as I do. The previous 15 issues are evidently being held close to the chest by collectors lucky enough to possess them. ) But he might have some spare XENIUMs he could send me. I give him my address in case this be true. Then I tentatively produce my working copy of my "INCOMPLEAT GUIDE TO CANADIAN FANZINES: 1937 TO 1998". He leafs through the pages. "Hmm," he comments, "I didn't know there were so many." Gives me a thrill to hear him say that. If one of the most important Faneds in the history of Canadian zinedom is impressed by the amount of research I'm doing and the results I'm coming up with then surely I must be on the right track. At this point Lloyd & Yvonne come down a flight of stairs in the company of a big, burly man with a thin black beard and silver/black hair tied in a bushy ponytail. Another legendary, longtime fan: John Mansfield no less. He strides past and starts talking to Glicksohn, who interrupts him by pointing at me and saying, "And of course you know Graeme Cameron?" John reaches out and shakes my hand. "I know of him.” I try to strike up a conversation. "Did you know you were the inspiration for the first VCON?" “All I can tell you is my side of the story," he comments cryptically, then glances at his watch and abruptly rushes off. Hmm, must find out what he means. I check out the dealer's room. A complete set of "Outer Limits" (the original 1960's show) bubblegum cards leaps off the table and grabs me by the throat. Zounds! My favourite TV show of all time! I once possessed the complete set, but gave them away to a very young nephew when I was getting rid of my "kiddy" possessions in an effort to appear mature. ( I've never forgiven myself. My Aurora models! My Dinky toys...Arrgh! Have since bought most of them back at considerable expense. ) The card set is only $50. Hmm, maybe if I have any money left over at the end of the convention.... ( I ran into a similar problem while running the dealers room at VCON 23 in May of 1998. The Oldfud's Collectibles table displayed a virtually complete set of Hugo Gernsback's AMAZING STORIES at an average price of only $20.00 Cdn. 9 each! Alas, I was short of funds. I could only afford two, the October 1926 issue with the Frank R. Paul cover which inspired 4E Ackerman to become an SF fan, and the September 1928 issue with the Scientifiction logo which later became the symbol of First Fandom. Ah yes, timebinding....) I walk back into the hall and up to the table representing the Judith Merril Collection Library. Theresa Wojtasiewizc, editor of SOL RISING, the newsletter of the 'Friends of the Merril Collection', is manning the table. I engage her in conversation and take out a subscription to the zine, but stupidly forget to check out a rumour I'd heard concerning their Fanzine policy. I know their collection contains runs of zines important to Fannish history ( which is how Robert Columbo was able to research his YEARS OF LIGHT, A CELEBRATION OF LESLIE A. CROUTCH, Canada's leading fan of the 1940's ) but the rumour is that modern zines either get tossed or stuffed into a drawer. Since I send them SPACE CADET, and am a fervent believer in preserving Canada's Fanzine heritage, I certainly hope this rumour is not true! I must find out. The costume display and art show beckons to me next. I admit costuming leaves me cold, yet some of the costumes impress me, some being so ornate, so glittering with brocade, as to resemble court dress from Byzantium. I overhear two costumers in conversation. One gestures at the art show, saying "I'm only here for the costuming panel, not this other garbage." .... Ahh, the subgenres of Fandom. It seems Fandom is structured very much like the Indian Caste system, the one difference being that in Fandom each caste thinks it is Brahminic and all the rest are untouchables! While perusing the art show proper I see the original "Titanic about to strike the dorsal plates of a submerged Godzilla" by Jean-Pierre Normand. A note states that prints are for sale in room 510. Immediately I hotfoot it to said room only to discover no one is in. Later, I promise myself, later. I will not go home without one. I wait for the elevator. Who should pop out when the door opens but Cindy Huckle. I harass her yet again. "Cindy, Cindy, when do I do my bit? Is it still on? Can I do it? Huh? Can I?" Cindy rolls her eyes. "Yes, yes, of course your video lecture is going to be scheduled. Don't know when yet. We'll let you know. I promise!" It is now Noon. I elect to drop by the con suite. Only four or five people present. I should mention that I'm wearing two badges, the first of which states "THE 1997 CUFF WINNER" and the second of which reads "THE GRAEME, EDITOR OF SPACE CADET". The people in the con suite lean forward to read my badges and forever after seem to back off and keep their distance. Hmmm. Oddly, no one throughout the entire convention asks me what "CUFF' stands for or what "SPACE CADET' is. Hmmm. I ask questions about the organization behind Primedia. I'm told, "Nothing incorporated yet, just an informal group. The only fan-run con devoted to Canadian SF Media." People sound slightly apologetic. Fans often do, when explaining to Mundanes, though surely these people didn't think the editor of something called "SPACE CADET" is a Mundane? Hmmm. I try to join in the general conversation, but quickly find out the talk is dominated by one very large, very opinionated Fan ( who has no opinions of his own, but insists on quoting what other people have said or written ) whose technique is to talk very loudly and rapidly without allowing anyone else the chance to say anything till he runs out of breath. Then he sits quietly whispering to himself till he notices a lull in the conversation and surges anew. After twenty minutes of this I give up and leave. Insecure, socially inept and tactless fans can be a pain. I know, cause I'm one of them. But I have the added advantage of being so shy in the presence of strangers I normally keep my mouth shut. This gives lustre to my reputation as a conversationalist... I pass by the open doorway to the room where Richard Biggs ( Dr. Stephen Franklin on BABYLON 5 ) is giving a talk. The room is packed with fans. Very well attended indeed. The media aspect of the con is obviously a huge success. I elect to sit in on the 1:00 pm panel "The Science Fiction of Science Fact" featuring Robert J. Sawyer and Michael Lennick, the latter representing SPACE -- THE IMAGINATION CHANNEL of cable TV which is produced in Toronto. Sawyer is late in arriving, a consequence of his "heavy scheduling", non-stop from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. I go up to him to ask permission to take a flash photo. I also introduce myself. "Oh, so you're the Graeme," he says, shaking my hand. Michael starts by showing a 15 minute TV segment on teleportation featuring himself and Robert. In it Sawyer quotes the opening lines from James Blish's SPOCK MUST DIE! novel: "What worries me," McCoy said, "is whether I'm myself anymore. I have a horrible suspicion that I'm a ghost. And that I've been one for maybe as long as twenty years." This leads to a discussion revolving around the idea that teleportation, conversion from matter to energy and back again, is in reality a form of death and rebirth. But, we are informed, it's not possible, teleportation is not feasible. Thoughts are not hardwired, but arranged in holographic patterns of energy in the brain. Gravity and magnetic fields are part of the individual human picture as well. I think it is Sawyer who quotes the famous joke by Greg Bear, "Don't wear wool in a teleporter", i.e. else you may emerge part sheep, your DNA merged with that of the critter who grew the wool ala THE FLY. A member of the audience objects, "But hair, including wool, doesn't contain DNA." Someone else points out that hair roots do. Nobody can figure out whether a wool sweater includes roots or not. The joke is ruined by a need for further research. Ah well. At one point Sawyer observes that animism plays a significant role in our lives. It is natural as a child to impart spirit to an object, a doll for instance, as it seems to answer a basic need, but this is not something we give up as adults. We treat Data (from the STAR TREK reality) as human even though it isn't. I think to myself, this will happen to aliens for sure if we ever contact any, and if they're sufficiently clever, they will exploit this. Hmm. I wonder if this has anything to do with Sawyer's new book ILLEGAL ALIEN?

Anywho, both Robert and Michael are very articulate and full of nifty ideas. The hour goes by too swiftly. As Sawyer rushes off to his next panel I tell him, "I hope to talk to you later, much, much later." He throws me a puzzled glance and exits quickly. Oops. What I MEANT to say was "I want very, very much to talk to you later" but it didn't come out that way. Oops. It is now 2:00 pm. The awards banquet is in four hours. I decide to go back up to my room and take a power nap. This means I'll miss such panels as "The True North: Canadian SF&F", "The Great Canadian SF&F Trivia Quiz", and "Sexuality in SF&F" ( how come 'Canadian' isn't part of this last title? Hmmm, sinister.... ), but I want to be alert and fully conscious during the Aurora presentations. Just as I get off the elevator at my floor Dale Sproule and Sally McBride ( Editors of TRANSVERSIONS ) step on. "Graeme, we've got to meet later!" "I'll be at the Toronto bid party", I say as the door closes. In fact I never run into them again. I wonder what it is they wanted to talk about? Entice me into writing a regular column for vast sums of money?.... Naaah.... Gratefully I settle down on my bed. Still raining outside. There's no heat ( I didn't know you have to turn it on ) and consequently the room is cold and damp. Slowly I drift asleep. I wake up briefly to the annoying sound of dripping water. Ah good, I think, the heat must be coming on. Odd, still cold and damp though. I wake up again to a much more insistent drip. What kind of heating system is this? Egads! The wall above the bay window is leaking. Rain water is dripping in at an increasing rate. Thinking quickly I place the metal garbage pail underneath. THUMP! THUMP! Which is quickly transformed to a SPLASH! SPLASH! No more sleep, that's for sure. I complain to the front desk. A super with five million keys jangling from his belt, like a character out of a situation comedy, shows up to laugh at my plight. "These things are sent to torment us, eh? Keeps me employed though." He helps me carry my stuff to another room down the hall. No drip. No noise. I fall asleep again. At long last, it's time for the Aurora Awards Banquet and Presentation…..

TO BE CONTINUED

AD ASTRA 2008

FRIDAY MARCH 28th – SUNDAY MARCH 30 th , 2008:

by Lloyd Penney

GoHs Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Christopher Golden, Howard Tayler, Yvonne Gilbert, Wayne Brow.

After a couple of months of discussions, meetings, planning, creating signs, phone calls and e-mails, and generally overplanning the way we usually do, Yvonne and I were ready, and then it was time to go to Ad Astra 2008. What was Yvonne doing? Getting ready for her programme track at the con. She was in charge of space, science and technology (SST) programming, and had all her panelists lined up, with their speaker packages ready to hand out. (This is a tradition of space conferences.) What was I doing? Assisting Yvonne, but also getting ready to stage a big party the Saturday night. Would this be a good con this year? I admit I am very un-objective with this report, but I think yes, Ad Astra this year was a great time, and a successful convention. More details to follow. We packed our car to the roof, but still had space to put a collapsible cart, and good thing, too, for all hotel trolleys were in near constant use. There is a lot of construction work around the con hotel, the Crowne Plaza Don Valley West, with a condominium complex and a retirement home being built on either side of the property, so all parking, what little there was, was valet parking only. But once we were there, the con was smooth. The chairman was forced to leave his position less than a week before the convention, so it took former chairman Peter Sprokkelenburg a short time to get up to speed and manage the convention on site. The problems with the con suite in past years were solved with farming out the con suite to outside groups to run the suite as a room party all weekend. All seemed to work okay, until a group of bloggers took over, and were too busy blogging to actually run the room. Otherwise, the suite was party central, with opportunity to promote a convention or club. The convention used a lot of the property, and while most panels used rooms, the kids’ paper airplane contest used part of the lobby, while Astronomy in the Parking Lot is self- explanatory. I took some time to try to examine the atmosphere of the convention. I can tell when the general emotion at the con is positive or negative, and this con was all positive. I am now old enough to not know most of the people there, and I must wonder if the con is simply a good cure for cabin fever. We’ve had a cold winter here, so it was still cold, but at least most of the snow was gone. People were partying, costuming, having a good time. Sales in the dealers’ room were brisk, and with the return of a regular art show at the con, it actually was making money, something art shows here have failed to do in the past.

One sudden addition to the convention was a remembrance of Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who passed away mere days before the con started. There was a panel about his work, both in SF and science, plus a book of condolences that will go to a few more places before being sent to the Clarke family. Complaints at the darks and laurels panel were few, and there was praise for the SST programme, the masquerade, which was quite busy, and for costuming programming, which with the masquerade, is having a renaissance around here. One thing I did notice were more and more people from the other conventions in town volunteering to help or take a committee position with Ad Astra, which did not usually happen in previous years. I will take this as a good sign, and as a validation of the worth of this convention. From what I can gather, attendance was about the same as last year, and that’s something which must improve. There were some financial losses last year, so revenues have to increase. We retired from the convention committee a couple of years ago, but with Yvonne doing a track of programming, we’ve decided to fully return, to work on advertising and publicity, if they will have us. I even ran for the board of directors at the AGM at the end of the con, but without success. Overall, a good time for all, people were pleased, I saw lots of people I hadn’t seen in some years; for one or two, it was decades. Next year will be Ad Astra 2009, but for old fogies like me who prefer numbering, this will be the 28 th Ad Astra in 30 years. I still believe in it, there are improvements that have to be made in the convention, and there are things to be done that aren’t being done at all, but that’s me planning to come back and make a difference again. Wish me luck.

FIVE EARLY CANADIAN SCI-FI CONVENTIONS

IN ONTARIO: KINGCON 1967 & TORONTO TRIPLE FAN FAIR 1968

KINGCON (Kingston, 1967)

The first con in Canada since the Torcon Worldcon in 1948 was a small gathering of fans in a motel room in Kingston, called King Con ( or King Kon – sources vary ) in 1967. These fans came from two groups, the QSFS ( Queen’s Science Fiction Society ) based at Queen’s University in Kingston, and OSFiC ( Ontario Science Fiction Club ) out of Toronto. Angus Taylor is one member of the QSFS known to have attended, and OSFiC members present probably included club founders Mike Glickson and Peter Gill. At any rate this convention – really just a room party – was so much fun that the OSFiC members were inspired to begin planning a genuine convention for the following year.

TORONTO TRIPLE FAN FAIR (Toronto, 1968)

The Toronto Triple Fan Fair, held in the Markham Street Village student-artist district of Toronto June 29 th , 30 th & July 1st 1968, is generally referred to in fan histories as Fan Fair 1, the first of four Fan Fairs sponsored by OSFiC, the Ontario Science Fiction Club, in the late 60s and early 70s. However, the first Fan Fair, its triple nature being Films, Comics & Science Fiction, had multiple sponsors and participating organizations, including OSFiC, Capt’n George Henderson’s Memory Lane Bookstore, the Canadian Academy of Comic Book Collectors, the Jack Pollock Art Gallery, the Adams & Yves Art Gallery, and the Markham Village Film Club.

Guests of Honour included Stan Lee, described in the program book as: “Marvel Comics Editor-Writer. Started with Marvel at age 17. Has been creating comics for over 28 years. Generally regarded as Superhero of the new age of comics because in 1961, he introduced personality into his superhero characters. They became people with everyday problems instead of just drawings. Mr. Lee’s visit to Toronto and the Fan Fair is being sponsored by the Canadian Academy of Comic Book Collectors.”

And Roger Zelazny: “Award-winning Author. While still in his twenties, Roger has won two Nebula and one Hugo Award for some of the best science fiction being written today. His concepts are fresh, his attacks bold, his resolutions generally trenchant. Although his first stories did not begin to appear until 1962, Roger has four novels selling widely, including “LORD OF LIGHT”, his latest, and short stories in almost any science fiction magazine you pick up. He appears at Toronto’s Triple Fan Fair courtesy of the Ontario Science-Fiction Club.”

Three Canadian artists in particular were showcased at the con, namely Mauro Martini, Vincent Marchesand, and Derek Carter, the latter providing artwork for the advertising posters, the convention ‘passport’ ( admission ticket ), which depicted a three-headed dragon chasing hippies and beatnik artists through Markham, art canvases flying in all directions, and the program book ( actually a four-fold single sheet of stiff paper ) which had two other variations of the three-headed dragon, one showing it coiled around the Toronto Dominion Tower, the other coming out from behind the distinctive towers of Toronto City Hall.

Events took place in several venues: the Markham Street Town Hall, the Poor Alex Theatre at 296 Brunswick Avenue, the Adams & Yves and Pollock Art Galleries, and above all Poor Edward’s Garden, which I remember as a large patio-like affair of pink and white tiles hidden behind a row of houses and approached by an L- shaped lane about 50 feet long that was too narrow for more than one person at a time. Talk about crowd control! PEG was filled with booths and tables. I do not remember tents, but apparently there were some, if not in PEG then perhaps on the sidewalk along Markham ( seems the wind caused a few problems for the tents ). Poor Edward’s Garden may possibly have been a tea garden or restaurant normally, but I can’t remember.

The Program has Two types of listings. First:

CONTINUOUS EVENTS, EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS:

IN POOR EDWARD’S GARDEN:

Star Trek Corner – An exhibit devoted to Star Trek Television program and its cast. ( I remember buying several individual stills from actual footage of out-takes from the TV show, apparently part of a money-making scheme by the ‘Great Bird of the Galaxy’ which the studio was unaware of at the time. They were being sold at cons all over North America. The ones I selected included shots of Spock, Shatner, and various aliens. I recall about 25 cents a still was the asking price. Also picked up an early Star Trek fanzine with a beautiful drawing of Spock on the cover. No doubt there was much else that would be considered very cool indeed 40 years later, but my budget was limited. Too bad. )

Science-Fiction Art – A display of fan and professional art and illustrations in science-fiction and fantasy fields.

The Many Lives of Tarzan – A close look at Tarzan, his history and the man that created the legend.

A Pictorial History of SF – From first to last in TV and movies, with emphasis on what’s new.

The Marvel Superheroes – Complete selection of Marvel Superheroes and some of their adventures.

The Huckster’s Room – No matter what kind of science-fiction you like … new, old, hard, soft… it will be all there for you to buy or browse through.

Markham Street Village Film Club Presents – Some of the finest films ever made, including BIRTH OF A NATION, METROPOLIS, INTOLERANCE and many more. ( I don’t recall seeing any of these, but have the vague idea they were being exhibited in a tent with a 16mm projector. )

IN ADAMS & YVES ART GALLERY:

The Wonderful World of Comics – Private collection of Toronto celebrity, showing here with special permission. ( Have no idea who the ‘celebrity’ was. )

IN THE POLLOCK GALLERY:

Stan Lee & The Marvel Superheroes – Exhibition of original comic book art.

IN MARKHAM STREET VILLAGE TOWN HALL:

Silence is Golden – Continuous program of Chaplin films from all portions of his great career. 13

IN THE POOR ALEX THEATRE:

TV & Special Film Shows – Continuous science-fiction films of less than feature length interspersed with Special Feature Films – see special events.

EITHER ON MARKHAM STREET OR IN POOR EDWARD’S GARDEN:

Comic Book Trade-in – Watch members of the Academy of Comic Book Collectors and wheeler-dealers of the future.

SPECIAL EVENTS – SATURDAY June 29 th

10:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremony – Poor Edward’s Garden.

Afternoon – Abracadabra – 7 magicians doing amazing things before your eyes, at all our locations.

2:00 p.m. – Sons of Adventure – Demonstration of movie stunt men – Poor Edward’s Garden. ( This apparently was hosted by Don Daynard of CKFH TV? Radio? )

8:30 p.m. – Mr. Magic – Feats of legerdemain – Markham street.

9:00 p.m. – King Kong – The classic film of its type – Poor Edward’s Garden. ( I remember the film was projected on a crumpled bed sheet hanging loosely on a fence. The projector broke down several times. It was a gloriously warm summer night. It was also the very first time I’d ever seen the original King Kong, and despite the lack of detail, the screen being very rumpled, I enjoyed watching the film tremendously. I remember some heckling, but I think directed at the profusely sweating projectionist rather than the film itself. )

SPECIAL EVENTS – SUNDAY June 30 th

11:00 a.m. – Roger Zelazny – Meets Science-Fiction fans – Poor Edward’s Garden.

11:30 a.m. – Stan Lee – Opens Pollock Gallery Exhibit.

1:30 p.m. – 2001: A Panel – Roger Zelazny, Stan Lee and Phyllis Gotlieb discuss the film – Poor Alex Theatre. ( Missed that! In retrospect I would have loved to find out what Zelazny & Lee thought of the film. As an ad in the program makes clear 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was currently in first run showing at the Glendale Theatre at 1661 Avenue Road in “super panavision Cinerama metrocolour” available for reserved seats only at box office or by mail. Ken Smookler, the current President of OSFiC is quoted from RPM Weekly: “I have seen good science fiction movies and bad science fiction movies but none of them has ever left on me quite the impression that “2001” did. It is one of the few movies I have ever seen that could be honestly described as “Stunning” in every meaning that is carried by that word.”

3:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Stan Lee – Meets fans – Poor Edward’s Garden.

2:30 p.m. – THE POWER – New George Pal film – Poor Alex Theatre.

5:30 p.m. – Grand Auction – Poor Edward’s Garden.

8:30 p.m. – The Masked Ball – Masks and/or costumes needed. Prize for best costume. Dancing till 11:30 p.m. – Poor Edward’s Garden.

SPECIAL EVENTS – MONDAY July 1 st

10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Comics For Adults – What terrible deeds were done before the code – Poor Edward’s Garden.

11:00 a.m. – Conventions Past – Slides of recently past World SF Conventions – Poor Edward’s Gardens.

12:30 p.m. to ? – Luncheon with Roger Zelazny at L’Escargot. $3.50 per person.

Comments by the Graeme: This was my first ever Sci-Fi con, and the more I think about it, the more certain I am that I only attended the one day, the Saturday. I looked at stuff, bought a few things, was asked to join OSFiC but turned the offer down because I knew I would shortly be moving to Vancouver, went home for supper, then returned to watch King Kong in the evening. Why didn’t I come back the following two days? I wasn’t interest in comics, had already seen most of the films, had already examined the static displays, had run out of spending money, and probably, it being the long weekend, had something else to attend re my family. But at least I can say I was there.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SUBSEQUENT FAN FAIRS:

FAN FAIR 2: Was held August 23 rd & 24 th , 1970, at the King Edward Hotel. It featured Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey as Guests of Honour and attracted 450 attendees. Apparently very successful.

FAN FAIR 3: Held August 1 st to 3 rd , 1975, at the King Edward Hotel. Lester del Rey and Cy Chauvin were Guests of Honour. Chaired by Taral Wayne, with Valerie Starr as Treasurer, Michael Smith on Registration, Elizabeth Pearse on Artshow, and Phil Paine on Programming. FF3 is described by Taral Wayne as: “the brainchild of either Phil Paine or Michael Smith. Either way, the con got off to an ominous start. To begin with Phil missed the first organizational meeting, and I got elected chairman in his stead….. The con itself was flawed in many ways. The program was very weak, the Saturday and Sunday night con suite parties were held only by my last minute decision, vandals were tripping the fire alarms, the registration records were lost, and the night manager hounded us with threats to evict the con. Yet there were 600 people at FanFair, and the high rates (for the time) resulted in the con's making $3,200 profit. Most people seemed to have enjoyed themselves, but from the inside it looked worse than it was….” Apparently infighting and assorted frictions, not least with the management of the King Edward Hotel, led to OSFiC breaking up into at least two factions.

FAN FAIR 4: ( Also called SUMMERCON ): Held July 29th & 30th 1977 at the Carleton Inn. “Designed as a semi-relaxed, fannish convention for those who like the relaxacon atmosphere, and with a bit of programming for those who enjoy that.” Philip Jose Farmer and Andy Porter ( then editor of AGOL ) were Guests of Honour. Included an art show, some dealers, and a limited movie program “Movie programs at cons have tended to be all-night affairs that suffer through until the wee hours of the morning, with one or two dozing fans slouched in back seats. Our films will be run as part of the program twice each afternoon.” In lieu of a banquet a picnic in nearby Allen Gardens park was proposed. “Anyone wishing to hold small seminars on any topic may be provided with room.” And a room was reserved “for the display of fanzines and current apa mailings ( we would like to make the apa section as complete as possible ). Faneditors may mail us their zines for sale, but should not send us more than 10 copies.” Mike Wallis was Chair and the ConCom was a composite committee involving both OSFiC members and members of the Draco Film Society including Elizabeth Pearse who ran the art show.

FAN FAIR 5: was planned by the same committee for summer of 1978 but apparently never got off the ground for some reason.

THE ALBERTA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE 1971

The ASFS was a Science Fiction club based at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary circa 1971/1972. Meetings often held "high atop the science building in the penthouse lounge at SAIT". Members included John Mansfield, Randy Thomas, Michael Roberts, Bill Gemmill and John Byrne. Beginning in 1971 they published a newsletter, with Randy Thomas as Faned, titled THE GREAT NOR-WESTERN NEWS, switching with #5 to the title ALTAEGO. Also in 1971 the club held their first convention, on July 1st, called THE ALBERTA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE, which I believe to be Alberta’s first Sci-Fi Convention.

A second open house was held ( in Edmonton according to John Mansfield ) on the 22 nd of August in 1972. Club then apparently faded as members graduated.

However, according to Garth Spencer, "a new club formed from the remnant, including ( fan artist ) Bob Gibson, Gordon McNab, Eric Tilbrook, and Grant Thiessen ( Owner of Pandora's Books ). Eric Tilbrook and Amin Bhatia produced the radio play "Cattlefarm Galactica" and it has been popular ever since ( when it appears )." This club ( name? ) also faded from view, in 1978. But in 1979 some former members got together and created yet another club, DEC ( of which more in a future issue ).

The following is quoted from the 4 page program book for the A.S.F.S. Open House donated to the WCSFA/BCSFA archive by Garth Spencer. The cover, with art by Bob Gibson, is reproduced on the cover of this issue of WCSFAzine:

CONVENTION COMMITTEE:

Chairman – John Mansfield. Memberships – Bill Savage. Program Book – Randy Thomas. Art Show Director – John Byrne. Huckster Room – Bob Keehn. Master-At-Arms – Bob Schell.

Professional Guest of Honour – A.E. van Vogt. Fan Guest of Honour – Forrest J. Ackerman.

ADVANCED MEMBERSHIPS

001 – A.E. van Vogt, 002 – Forrest J. Ackerman, 003 – Mike Glicksohn, 010 – John Mansfield, 011 – Wayne Hoffman, 012 – Randy Thomas, 013 – Jim Haliburtan, 014 – Bill Stecewicz, 015 – Jim Ryan, 016 – Niel A. Ried, 017 – W. Robert Gibson, 018 – Bill Kulyk, 019 – Chris Kulyk, 020 – Harland Ronning, 021 – Bob Schell, 022 – Bob Keehn, 023 – Jack Laycraft, 024 – Sylvia Laycraft, 025 – Bill Gemmill, 026 – John Gemmill, 027 – Laura-Jean Gemmill, 028 – Miss Johnston, 029 – Brian Mageee, 030 – Brian Morre, 031 – John Byrne, 032 – F.M. Busby, 033 – Barbara Wenk.

PROGRAM

9:00 REGISTRATION BEGINS : Doors open.

10:00 OPENING SPEECH AND INTRODUCTIONS : Program Chairman, John Mansfield, will officially open the proceedings and will introduce notables.

11:00 PANEL – Writing: The First Word. J.B.CLARKE : Already accepted in ANALOG ( Cover story – June 69 ). Mr. Clarke will moderate this panel on writers just now beginning to write science fiction. CATHERINE L . PIERCE: has just started writing and has already written 2 or 3 short stories as well as had one of her ideas bought by STAR TREK. Mr. W. RITCHIE BENEDICT : is a long-time SF fan and just won the CFAC award for his drama anthology “IF”. He hopes to write professionally for TV.

12:00 LUNCH BREAK

RECOMMENDED THE GRILL: right in the hotel, this fine restaurant will provide a very good lunch with a wide range of food.

1:00 A SCIENCE SPEECH : SIGFRIED WEISER of the Centennial Planetarium will give a speech which is entitled “FICTION-SCIENCE OR HOW SCIENCE LOOKS AT FICTION”. Mr. Weiser has given a speech once before to our club, during a December meeting at the Planetarium.

2:00 PANEL: Science Fiction and the mass media. BILL MUSSELWHITE : a columnist for the CALGARY HAROLD, will moderate the panel. He writes many of the movie reviews and SF book reviews, as well as is on the radio over CBC. SHIRLEY GORDON : a TV columnist for the ALBERTAN, does daily reports which give both pro and con reviews of many TV shows seen in the area. Although not an SF fan, she has followed the subject closely in TV. JIM RYAN : announcer on CFCN from 7 to 10 week nights, is the third member on this panel. Jim’s science fiction collection is probably one of the largest in the city. His wide range of interests will hopefully add scope to this panel.

3:00 FILM SHOW : A 20 minute black and white STAR TREK blooper reel will be shown. This is truly a must see, as nothing on this film ever made TV. Also shown will be two smaller films, both in colour and dealing with STAR TREK and U.F.O. There will be two showings of each film.

4:00 ART AUCTION :

All items in the art show that are for the auction will accept final bids before 4 o’clock, and at 4, all bids will be finalized.

4:30 AUCTION : Many rare and unusual items will be auctioned this time. We think this will attract your interest and urge you to attend. Everything from ANDOMEDA STRAIN keys to comic art; from Frazetta prints to original artwork, there will be something for you at very reasonable prices, and NO sales tax.

5:30 GUEST OF HONOUR’S SPEECH : A.E. van Vogt will give a speech, entitled “SC IENCE AND SCIENCE FICTION IN THE NEXT 100 YEARS”, will be given after the auction, since the banquet was cancelled, due to not enough tickets sold. We hope there should be a banquet next year.

9:00 PARTY We offer you this opportunity to talk with people you have met throughout this convention and in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Coffee and soft drinks will be served.

Comments by the Graeme:

This convention compares very well with VCON 1 held the previous April: We had Ursula K. LeGuin and they A.E. van Vogt. Extra points to them for getting Forrest J. Ackerman. Extra points to us for getting a couple of professors to speak. Minor film showings about even, though maybe extra points to them for having the blooper reel. I assume the U.F.O. film was not about UFOs in general, but a promotional piece for the Gerry Anderson TV show. Minus points for both given that the planned banquets fell through for due to lack of interest, but we get a few points for the bang-up spontaneous dinner held at the Ho Inn in Chinatown. Further extra points to us for holding a two day convention as opposed to their single day. But extra points to them for their art auction. Minus points for both in that the Guest’s of Honour were somewhat under-utilized, but LeGuin was a major ‘event’ at the room parties both nights and I assume van Vogt and Ackerman socialized with fans equally as well. Extra points to us for holding the first Elron Awards. Extra points to them for a fine piece of Bob Gibson cover art on their program book ( all we had a photo of Vancouver provided by the Chamber of Commerce ). Full points to everybody for putting on their first con successfully ( well, John was instrumental in putting on an earlier con, see below. ) End result: both fun-to-attend cons, both worthy efforts.

Why even bother to compare them? You might call them sister cons. Both apparently conceived out of a spirit of friendly rivalry following a visit by John Mansfield to Vancouver in October 1970. My impression is that John threw down the gauntlet, in effect daring Vancouver fans to prove they could handle a convention of their own ( I know he showed them slides of various cons he’d attended, including possibly Oromoctocon 1970 which he had helped organize ), but I don’t know if the A.S.F.S. Open House was in fact an attempt to ‘compete’, or simply something the ASFS felt like doing. At the very least, twas John Mansfield who planted the seed of motivation to create VCON, and in that sense, he could be considered the ‘instigator’ of VCON though not one of the actual founders, that honour would go to Mike Bailey and Daniel Say.

These early conventions may be of marginal interest to most fans, but to anyone interested in Canadian Sci-Fi fannish history they are rather fascinating, and since the WCSFA/BCSFA archive is full of such material, I will continue to showcase it in the pages of WCSFAzine for as long as I am able to. Cheers!

IN THE MARITIMES: OROMOCTOCON 1970 & HALCON 3 1980

OROMOCTOCON 1970

This is the earliest Maritimes Sci-Fi convention I am aware of. It all began with legendary Cdn Sci-Fi fan John Mansfield, who in 1966 was in the Canadian Army and living in Barrie, Ontario ( I was born in Barrie! Oops, sorry for the intrusive digression… ). He read in Lin Carter’s fandom column in FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION magazine about the upcoming Tricon Worldcon in St. Louis and decided to attend. There he came into contact with some other Sci-Fans from Canada, probably including the equally legendary fans Mike Glicksohn and Peter Gill who, inspired by Tricon, went on to found OSFiC ( the Ontario Science Fiction club ) in late 1966, which John Mansfield also joined.

At some point circa 1968/1969, John was posted to Oromocto, New Brunswick. In the surrounding region he came across other Sci-Fi fans and, based on his OSFiC experience, convinced them to come together in The Atlantic Science Fiction Society by 1969 at the latest. At its height there were at least 20 members. One of their activities involved driving 17

400 miles to attend one or more Boskone conventions in the Boston area. This contact with American fans proved so productive that late in 1969 the Atlantic SF Society proposed they meet with members of NESFA ( the New England Science Fiction Association, hosts of the Boskones ) at a relaxacon in Orormocto near Fredericton. NESFA gleefully accepted.

( Note: The Atlantic SF Society was not the first organized Sci-Fi Club in the Maritimes. That honour apparently belongs to the Halifax Science Fiction Society of Nova Scotia which formed in late 1948, promptly affiliated with the Canadian Science Fiction Association, and nearly as promptly folded in 1950. I don't know if the HSFS published a newsletter or clubzine, but if it did, it would mean that BOREALIS was NOT the first fanzine pubbed out of Halifax. At the very least members were probably active in the exchange of correspondence which was one of the main attributes of the CSFA. A few Halifax fans are listed in the CANADIAN FAN DIRECTORY published by the Canadian Science Fiction Association in 1952. Since the membership lists of the affiliated clubs past & present formed the core of the directory, it is probable that most of the Halifax fans listed had belonged to the Halifax SF Society. They are: Eraina K. Collins, Pearl Collins, Lionel R. Crocker, Alan Haris, Charles R. Johnston, W.B. McManus, William H. Murphy, Clarence J. Reeves, Bill Roscoe, Richard Tufts & Donald Ward. Alas, I have no further info on this club. )

OromoctoCon was held June 13 th -14 th 1970 at the Seaway Motor Inn in Oromocto, New Brunswick. Though it was only a relaxacon with but 30 attendees, Hal Clement was Guest of Honour! Quite a coup! Ten of those present were Boston area fans who had endured the seven hour drive in a rented van. Some of the people attending were John Mansfield, Charles Brown, Sue & Anthony Lewis, Suford, Selina Lovett, and Dena Benatan. Activities included visiting the Beaverbrook Museum in Fredericton and watching a review of the Royal Canadian Dragoons at Base Gagetown.

The Army base at Gagetown ( the main army training base in Eastern Canada ) is the glue which held the local club together, not only because John Mansfield was serving there, but, I gather, most of the other members as well. So much so, that shortly after OromoctoCon the Atlantic SF Society changed its name to the Base Gagetown Science Fiction Society. Another somewhat lasting consequence of OromoctoCon was that a few of the members of BGSFS became active contributors to APA:NESFA zine for a while. However, when John Mansfield, who had been described by the US zine INSTANT MESSAGE as “the guiding light of this group” was posted west to Alberta ( where he helped found the Alberta Science Fiction Society circa 1971 ), the BGSFS withered away.

( Note: I am indebted to Garth Spencer’s I GUESS YOU HAD TO BE THERE history of Canadian SF Fandom for most of the above information. )

HALCON 3 1980

This is a brief history of Halcons in general, with emphasis on the third because that is where and when the first Aurora was awarded ( though not yet called ‘Aurora’ at the time ).

When contacted for his impressions of the Halcons which Spider Robinson attended, he and Jeanne living in Nova Scotia at the time, spider wrote the following:

“Just say the words “Halcon I,” and a flood of associations rise to the surface of memory, even after nearly 30 years: the sound of raucous laughter, the thick sweet fragrance of hash, the taste of one of the first—and last—delicious convention banquets I ever ate (or was that because of the hash?), and of course the smiling faces of old friends now too long unseen, like Bob Atkinson, George Allanson, John Bell and Sheldon Goldman. (Smiling with relief that they got away with it.) But just as vivid and pleasant to recall are my first sight of artsmith Mike Spencer’s stunning iron sculptures: a memorably terrifying “Coeurl the Black Destroyer,” created for A.E. Van Vogt, and “They Travel In Elephants,” presented to Jeanne and me. The latter is, without question, one of the most beautiful and moving honours we’ve ever received, or for that matter seen; we were just talking about it the other day. (Mike’s “Slow Sculpture,” made for Ted Sturgeon, is equally unforgettable; see .)”

Spider appears to be telescoping memories from several Halcons together here.

HALCON 1: Held in Greenwood Nova Scotia in October of 1977, Spider & Jeanne Robinson attending ( probably as Guests of honour ) – there’s a fine picture of them at the convention published in the summer 1978 first issue of BOREALIS, John Bell being one of the editors and also, I believe, heavily involved with Halcons right from the beginning. Bob Atkinson is considered the founder of the Halcon conventions however. George Allanson and Sheldon Goldman probably involved from the very beginning as well.

HALCON 2: Held in 1978, or maybe 1979, possibly in Greenwood again. I have no information. 18

HALCON 3: Held in Halifax, possibly at St. Mary’s University, summer of 1980. A.E. van Vogt was guest of honour and was presented with the first Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award for ‘lifetime achievement’ by Spider & Jeanne Robinson. This first CSFFA was known as the COEURL ( and indeed, apparently there was some effort to call the awards ‘The Coeurls’ from then on, Canada’s equivalent of the ‘the Hugos’, but this failed to catch on. Instead, the acronym CSFFA was transformed into ‘the Caspers’, till common sense prevailed and the more suitable ‘the Auroras’ was chosen in 19?? ).

Writing in his web site listed above by Spider, the sculptor of the Coeurl, artist Mike Spencer, states:

“COEURL – THE BLACK DESTROYER” “The first The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award, later to become the Aurora under the aegis of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association . Presented to A. E. Van Vogt at Halcon 3 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in 1980 in recognition of lifetime achievement in science fiction.” “Commissioned by John Bell, Bob Atkinson, George Allanson and Sheldon Goldman for Halcon. When I received the commission, I was keen to do it. I had read much of Van Vogt's work years before along with a great deal of other science fiction. Only I didn't know how I was going to manage to execute it. But shortly thereafter, and before the work was due, I went to a week-long workshop with Philadelphia sculptor Chris Ray.” “Chris, now sadly no longer with us, was the author of the bizarre and strangely compelling Mansect series of sculptures (among many others) that I admired extravagantly. The week with Chris provided the technique I needed to raise and form the hollow body of Coeurl.” “Raised 16 ga. steel and hot-forged steel on a rosewood base. Design by Mike Spencer and Owen Olton based on the description in Van Vogt's story, The Black Destroyer, and the original artwork in the July 1939 issue of Astounding . The head and extremities are forged from solid bar and all the numerous pieces assembled by gas and electric welding. Fangs are set into holes drilled in the jaws. It has been erroneously reported in science fiction fandom that this piece is "cast iron". It's not.” “Many thanks to Robert Whitelaw who made the rosewood base; to Owen Oulton for design collaboration; and especially to Chris Ray for his long-time and continuing inspiration.”

Original photo by Peter Barss

SCI-FI ON THE ROCK #2 A SUCCESS!

Darren on the SFOTR concom posted to the Conrunners website: “I am very glad to say that sci-fi on the rock2 was a great success. We planned for 500 attendees over the period of the 2 days, and we received a little over 700. In a Province with a population of less than half a million people we think that is a great.” “I can't say enough about the great team of volunteers we had and a special thank you to our 2 guests Jeremy Bulloch from star wars/James bond. who was great with the fans, and also Brian Downey from lexx who went out of his way to help us out. I would highly recommend these two guests to any convention organizer they both were incredible.”

PREREG NOW FOR VCON 33 in 2008!

VCON 33 -- ( Oct 3-5, 2008 ) Vancouver, BC. Canada’s oldest ongoing Sci-Fi convention ( VCON 1 was held in 1971 ). Author GoH: Patrick Rothfuss ( author of ‘Name of the Wind’ ), Artist GoH: Lisa Snellings-Clark. There will be a breakfast in Jake's on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a bartender and cash bar at the dance.

RATES : Current pre-registration membership: $45 until June 1, $50 until Sept 15, $60 at the door (Oct 3 - 5 are the dates) Day rates: Friday: $30, Saturday: $35, Sunday: $25

Student rates are discounted by 25% (the at the door rate for students is $45) Children 7 - 12 are half the adult rate (at the door rate is $30) Children 6 and under get in free.

Students and 7 - 12s who look older must present ID to get their memberships. Everyone must present photo ID when signing in to registration on the weekend.

The member registration form is downloadable from VCON's website at < http://www.vcon.ca/registration.htm > Make out cheques to ‘VCON’ and mail to VCON, c/o Box 78069, Grandview RPO, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V5N 5W1.

HOTEL : The VCON 33 hotel is the Compass Point Inn, *but* it is currently still called the Days Inn Surrey ( this the same hotel where several VCONs have been held, namely: VCON 22 – 1997, VCON 23 – 1998, VCON 24 – 1999, VCON 25 – 2000, & VCON 28 – 2003. Always a cozy, intimate hotel, very popular with fans ). The name change is happening in June. The same staff are staying on through the name change ( other than normal turnover ). Our contract will remain in place through the name change.

When the convention comes around, it will indeed be "formerly the Days Inn Surrey", but not just yet.

Address: 9850 King George Highway, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 4Y3

Location description: Intersection of King George Highway (99A) and Fraser Highway (1A). Next to King George Skytrain Station (Expo Line eastmost terminal station).

Website: < http://www.compasspointinn.com/ > This website still says "Days Inn Surrey" (and will until the name change in June).

GUEST ROOM RATES:

$99/night, single room (1-2 people) $109/night, double room (3-4 people) (Unfortunately, no suites or kitchenettes are available.)

Phone or fax the hotel to get the VCON rate ("VCON, October 2-5, 2008"). A credit card or deposit is needed for a reservation. Floors 3, 4, and 5 are "quiet floors", and floors 2 and 6 are "party floors", to the best of the hotel's ability and availability. There are 81 rooms total (note that VCON's already taken some for GoHs and Operations).

Telephone: 604-588-9511 Toll Free: 1-800-663-0660 Fax: 604-588-7949

GETTING THERE:

Public transit: From any Skytrain station, board or make connection to Expo Line to King George station (eastbound). Exit at King George station (eastmost terminal station), walk through a parking lot or 1 block along sidewalk of King George Highway.

Northbound (coming from south; US): From Peace Arch Border, take Exit 10, turn right on King George Highway (99A).

Eastbound (coming from west; Vancouver and nearby cities): From Highway 1, take Exit 48, turn right at 104 Avenue, turn left at King George Highway (99A).

Westbound (coming from east; Fraser Valley and eastwards): From Highway 1, take Exit 50, follow 104 Avenue west, turn left at King George Highway (99A).

From Airport: From Highway 99 South, take Highway 91 East, exit on Nordel Way, turn left at King George Highway (99A)

PARKING: (At current time) Parking at the hotel is free of charge. Next-door pay parking (Impark) is $4 all day.

If you’d like to help write: < [email protected] > For updated info: < www.vcon.ca >

FANATICAL FANAC FABLES

RETRO CANADIAN FANZINES: THE VOICE #3 ( Spring 1946 )

Faned: Leslie A. Croutch

Issue #129 of LIGHT (Winter 1943) was Croutch’s first issue for FAPA ( Fantasy Amateur Press Association ). He continued LIGHT as a combination genzine/apazine for the next 20 years, finally dropping out of FAPA and gafiating in 1963. During this period non-FAPA readers complained about the amount of FAPA mailing comments in LIGHT and accused Croutch of producing an apazine masquerading as a genzine. Eg: Samuel McKoy of Niagara Falls, Ontario, wrote: "certainly discussions are all very well, but I sort of draw the line at a magazine full of them... to me the term 'magazine' ... would cover something of the type of thing LIGHT was before you got on this comments kick..."

Due to early flack of this type, at one point Croutch reverted LIGHT back to a perzine/genzine and sent a new zine THE VOICE into FAPA as his apazine. But this lasted only 4 issues. With possibly #33 of LIGHT ( Fall 1946 - would have been #140, but Croutch had restructured his numbering system ) Croutch reverted to using LIGHT as his apazine.

In THE VOICE #3 Croutch gives some insight into his initial decision to create THE VOICE: "I don't think those issues of LIGHT were so good either. The reason, I believe, was because I was trying to make the one magazine fit the two demands... solutions possible: That I make LIGHT 100% FAPA and drop all ideas of outside mailing... That I drop FAPA and devote myself to independency... Or I could make LIGHT 100% independent... and start a second magazine for the FAPA... Thus THE VOICE and thus LIGHT. If you have seen the latter you'll have realized that it is also far better than anything that came out in the FAPA...."

THE VOICE consisted mostly of mailing comments, and I assume that it was frustration over not exposing his fellow FAPAns to his "far better" feature articles in LIGHT which led him to give up THE VOICE and submit LIGHT once again. THE VOICE #3 would tend to support the above theory. Virtually all 11 printed pages are taken up with mailing comments, the exceptions being some general comments on FAPA policy and a page with 3 cartoons by Bob Gibson reprinted from the Mar 1946 issue of LIGHT. Still, some of the comments are fascinating glimpses into the past. Here are a few samples:

ON YET ANOTHER SCANDAL: “So somebody thought something in Dunk’s offering was slightly off colour. Now I got as dirty an imagination as the next feller, and you guys know that, but after seeing what Spoor ( Jack Speer ) said, and looking all through Dunk’s affair, I’ll be danged if I can see any reason for writing anybody about anything.”

ON FANS RETURNING FROM THE WAR: “Pretty soon what there is to Canadian Fandom will be pretty complete once again: Bob Gibson, Calgary, is back in civvies. Bob is now on the art staff of LIGHT magazine… Saturday, December 29, Ted White arrived in Toronto… Sunday, just before noon, I followed through on a prearranged plan and phoned him, long distance. I wonder what the charge will be? It lasted almost 25 minutes, and the 3 minute call to Toronto is somewhere around 60 cents!...It sure was good to hear his voice again. It sounded deeper, quieter. But he has been away for over 4 years and a lot can happen…He says he has hopes of getting into the swing of things again and may do some writing for LIGHT in the future…. I got a short note from the stray lamb, Norman Lamb, that he was in repat ( repatriation ) camp… that he would be home before the end of January… So this places the most active of Canadian fen back into circulation again. Civvy circulation, that is…” 21

REACTING TO REPORT OF A LASFS MEETING WHERE ALL WAS DOOM & GLOOM RE ATOMIC WAR: “JOIN THE SPO. Founder is Les Croutch and associate is E. E. Evans… SPO is short stuff for SOCIETY OF POLLYANNAS AND OPTIMISTS. Requirements are that you believe in the continued existence of the human race and the world in general; that you do not believe in the end of all things 5 or 10 years hence; concrete proof of your belief is plans for the future… Why lay down on the future? If you will believe in the future the future will believe in you. Maybe you will get killed, but then again maybe you won’t. Aren’t you a big enough person to be willing to gamble on that chance?... suddenly you heard about the atomic bomb and you started to cry like babies. Sure it’s dreadful. Sure another war may be in the making. But is that any excuse for you to chuck it all and say “What’s the use?”… Cripes, fellows, if you can’t be optimistic, can’t you be courageous?...I admit the coming of another war. Maybe 5 years, maybe 10 years, maybe 20. Within my lifetime I believe. It’ll be dreadful, no doubt about that, and maybe few of us will be left when it is all over. But in the meantime I am saving money. I am building up my little business. I’m building a dandy shop here that will also house a den when I am finished. Most of my plans are long range and I am going to follow them through. NOW WHO ELSE WILL JOIN EVANS AND ME IN THE SPO?”

ON 1946 RECORD PLAYER TECHNOLOGY: “I realize there are drawbacks to the crystal type of ‘pickup’…It isn’t quite as rugged as the magnetic or dynamic types…Dropping the pickup…can fracture the crystal and result in a) loss of power, or b) loss of tone… the pickup [ should not be ] mounted where it will be subjected to too great a heat. The top limit is 120 degrees F., … This means the unit must not be placed over power tubes, rectifiers, or any other source of heat…” “Also, in soldering the leads to the pickup, sweating in of the joints, or so-called heavy-handed soldering is a crime not to be condoned. Use as little heat as possible. Have the iron well tinned, and the leads well-cleaned, and also the soldering terminals on the crystal cartridge. Immediately the soldering is done wipe off the joint with a cloth moistened with alcohol. This serves to wipe off excess soldering flux and also to cool the leads and soldering lugs…”

ON 1946 THEATRE TELEVISION TECHNOLOGY: “Dear Tuck, I know that book on Theatre Television. I have seen it but haven’t done more than look through it at the pics and diagrams. A friend of mine who is taking his apprenticeship at the local theatre sent away for a copy of it.” “You may be a television operator, but what would you do if the equipment beneath your hands suddenly clonked out, hmmmm?” “Oh yes, television pictures can be out of frame up or down, or even sideways to the left or to the right. They can also be out of focus and twisted like a barn after a cyclone has passed. A picture can be framed properly and in focus over most of the area, and then the rest can look like a tesseract on the loose. Television can pull more acrobatics than your projected motion picture has ever done.” “And the voltage used on those ‘television guns’ for projecting is terrific. 20,000 and 40,000 and even 50,000 volts. Of course the current draw is negligible, but that’s enough high tension to fuse your yobber gland in one hulliva big hurry if you got tangled up in it…”

A TECHNICAL TRICK FOR FANEDS: “…this tearing of the stencil when working on it with a stylus and when shading. I find that using a piece of cellophane this can be prevented. Lay the cellophane on the stencil and then use the stylus in the regular way. Tearing is prevented, and I find that shading is much easier and seems to come out with a greater degree of faithfulness. At present I am using cellophane such as is used in wrapping articles. In fact this is where I got mine – it was used to wrap a large Christmas gift. The same piece can be used over and over again. The stylus and shading marks on it when it is held up to the light become unnoticeable when it is laid on the stencil. I am wondering now how it would work with typing. A larger sheet would be used and I suppose there would be trouble with it slipping on the platen. But it would end all that trouble with type clogging up as it does on certain types and makes of stencils, such as the Mimeograph ( A.B. Dick Co. ).”

EXAMPLES OF CROUTCH’S EXCRUCIATING SENSE OF HUMOUR:

“Television? I tried to but she wouldn’t listen!”

“Little boy worm to little girl worm: ‘Let’s go down to the graveyard and make love in dead earnest’”.

“’Maniac Rapes, Escapes!’ says newspaper headline. To which Little Joe enquires: ‘Nut Screws and Bolts?’”

THE FOUR ISSUES OF ‘THE VOICE’:

1945 - (#1 - Summer) (#2 - Fall) 1946 - (#3 - Spring) (#4 - Summer) 22

TARAL WAYNE ART GALLERY WEBSITE NOW AVAILABLE!

Send your fingers flying across your keyboard and go to < http://taralwayne.deviantart.com/gallery/ > to see some of the wonderful art Taral Wayne, one of Canada’s greatest ( and perhaps longest serving) fan artists, has produced over the last 3 decades. Fittingly, he is the fan Guest of honour for the 2009 Anticipation Worldcon in Montreal, an overdue recognition but one well deserved. The home page features several fanzine cover illustrations, including Garth Spencer’s ‘Maple Leaf Rag’, The Kamikaze Collective’s ‘Torus’, and – I’m happy to see it – my ‘Space Cadet’ #4, plus American zines like Rune, Mythprint, and Fan Noir, the latter being the regular column Taral is now doing for Arnie Katz’s Vegas Fan Weekly ( available at < www.efanzines.com > ). The gallery is divided into numerous sections: Zine Illos, Fanzine Covers ( bigger selection than the home page ), Furry, Willow Run ( the imaginary (?) town where Taral shares the house Homefall with the ET Saara Mar & others? ), Comics ( done by Taral, most notably his Beatrix series ), Pro Art ( much of it for a Pacific Northwest magazine called Ruralite), CDs ( Stange Voyages & Toronto The Ghood ) & Name Tags ( personalized nametags for individual fans – Taral IS a professional artist who WILL do personal art for you, and not just name tags, for a fair price for his time & skill ). “I've been drawing almost before TV's were common, let alone computers and the internet. I was drawing furry characters before there was such a fandom. I might have been the first to use a computer to cut mimeograph stencils to publish an SF fanzine.” “What I have done (before middle age began to slow me down) includes some magazine and book illustration, a short and obscure career in b/w comics, private commissions, dealer at cons, and too many years as an active science fiction fan to care to number.” “I've been deeply involved with Science Fiction fandom since the early 1970's, and after all that time have made a small mark. For example, I'll be the Fan Guest of Honour at the worldcon in Montreal, in 2009. I've also been nominated once again for a Hugo award, this time by this year's worldcon in Denver. It's the 7th. time, and this time I'd like to *win* if it's possible.”

ARTHUR C. CLARKE: FAN ( 1917 – 2008 )

By The Graeme

Arthur C. Clarke was the last of the three giants of Science fiction ( Heinlein, Asimov & Clarke ) to pass away. Much has been written about his career as an author and futurist. I’d like to do something a little different, namely describe his fannish career as best my sources will allow, for he started out as a fan of Sci-Fi before he became a writer, and it was his participation in fandom which laid the groundwork for his professional career. Here, then, is a modest little tribute to a wonderful writer.

I’ve never read the authorized biography written by Neil McAleer ( 1992 ), but have managed to cobble together the following account from various sources.

Arthur C. Clarke was born in England in 1917 in the West Country seaside town of Minehead. Shortly after World War One the family moved into a rented farm ( which Clarke eventually purchased and gave to his brother Michael ) near a village with the delightful name of ‘Bishop’s Lydeard’, some five miles from the town of Taunton, itself not far from Minehead. The farm went by the curious name of ‘Ballifants’.

Circa 1927 at the age of 10 Clarke went on his first airplane ride, courtesy of a barnstormer pilot visiting Taunton. He also experienced, in the town square of Bishop’s Lydeard, November 5 th ( Guy Fawkes Day) a near-deadly encounter with a rocket:

“…some idiot launched a rocket horizontally , so that it shot along the ground. It hit the toe of my shoe, was deflected up inside my shorts, and wandered around for a while before burning its way out through the back of my shirt…”

Fortunately Clarke survived and went on to his first encounter with a Sci-Fi pro-mag in November of 1928, when a former Minehead neighbour lent him that month’s issue of AMAZING STORIES with a cover by Frank R. Paul depicting Jupiter as seen from one of its moons. 1928 was also the year he began his secondary education at Huish’s Grammar School in Taunton, bicycling the five miles from farm to school and back again. Lunch hour he often spent in the local Taunton W. H. Smith’s book store. There he discovered a copy of H.G. Well’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, but priced beyond his reach:

“No problem: I was a fast reader. Day after day I returned to the shelf, and after a week or so I had finished the now dog-eared volume. I still recall, with gratitude, the manager of the bookshop, who knew exactly what I was doing…” 23

In 1930 Clarke discovered the newly published LAST AND FIRST MEN by Olof Stapledon in the Minehead library:

“…no book before or since has had such an impact on my imagination, the Stapledonian vistas of millions and hundreds of millions of years, the rise and fall of civilizations and entire races of Man, changed my whole outlook on the Universe and has influenced my writing ever since…”

Also in 1930, Clarke discovered the March issue of ASTOUNDING sitting around at school. Its cover by ‘Wesso’ ( Hans W. Wessoloski ) depicted a submarine-like spacecraft approaching the Moon, with most of the other planets of our Solar System conveniently visible as well. He read the issue from cover to cover, the feature story being BRIGANDS OF THE MOON by Ray Cummings, and was well and truly smitten with the Sci-Fi ‘bug’. He began collecting every issue of ASTOUNDING ( and soon AMAZING STORIES & WONDER STORIES as well ), no mean feat considering importation of US zines was spotty at best; indeed:

“According to legend – and I have no reason to doubt its accuracy – all these ‘Yank Pulps’ invaded the United Kingdom as ballast in returning cargo ships… These magazines eventually ended up in Woolworth’s at three pence apiece… There were entire issues that never reached the shores of the UK ( or at any rate the Taunton Woolworth’s ) so there were heartbreaking gaps in my collection…. To see what I was missing, I started an index, listing all issues and filling in their contents from the ‘Coming Next Month’ box ( not always reliable! ) and from subsequent readers comments…Later still, when the correspondence columns had put me in touch with other British ‘fans,’ I was able to buy – or swap – missing issues.”

While he was plunging into the heady depths of Sci-Fi, two chaps in Liverpool, Philip E. Cleator and Les Johnson, in October 1933 formed the BIS, or British Interplanetary Society, which was not actually a Sci-Fi club but rather a serious group of futurists dedicated to figuring out how best the conquest of space could actually be achieved. Nevertheless many fans were attracted to the group and it played a significant role in 1930’s British fandom. Clarke, having seen mention of BIS in the letters column of ASTOUNDING, joined the organization circa 1934/35. As he later recalled:

“I can still remember a voluminous correspondence I had with the society’s long-suffering secretary, Leslie Johnson, in which I bombarded him with technical questions.”

In 1936 Clarke graduated from school, and that summer he took the Civil Service Executive Grade exam, coming 26 th in a field of 1500 applicants, with a math score of 100%. He applied for and was accepted into the Exchequer and Audit Department, and wound up living in London auditing the accounts of the Board of Education. Clarke prided himself on having “the fastest slide rule in Whitehall” and generally finished his daily work within an hour, leaving the rest of the day free for more important tasks, like leisurely, prolonged lunch-time strolls about the city, reading the latest zines, writing short stories, keeping up his correspondence, and meeting other fans.

Clarke initially lived in a bed sitting room he rented at 21 Norfolk Square, Paddington, near Paddington Station in London. It was rather small:

“I do remember that it was just large enough ( ten feet by six ) to contain bed, sink, and cupboard. There was no chair, and any visitor – most were fellow members of the BIS – had a choice between sitting on the bed or on the windowsill.”

In fact, the stunning inconvenience of the tiny flat soon entered into fannish legend. It was claimed that Clarke once got wedged between its walls because he put on a double-breasted suit!

To Clarke’s great joy, and possibly in part due to his own efforts, BIS members living in London were granted the right to form their own branch. The first official meeting was held October 28 th , 1936, in the office of a Professor A.M. Low in Piccadilly, some twenty members of the BIS attending. At that meeting or shortly thereafter Clarke became Treasurer of the London Branch, in charge of an annual budget of about 100 pounds. It was an exhilarating time for Clarke:

“There were about ten of us in the hard core of the society, and we met at least once a week in cafes, pubs, or each other’s modest apartments. We were almost all in our twenties, and our occupations ranged from aeronautical engineer to Civil Servant, from university student to Stock Exchange Clerk. Few of us had technical or scientific educations, but what we lacked in knowledge we made up in imagination and enthusiasm.”

On Sunday January 3 rd 1937 the Leeds Science Fiction League hosted what British fans insist was the first Sci-Fi convention ever held in the world.

Note: American fans claim an October 22 nd 1936 gathering of fans in Philadelphia was the first Sci-Fi con, but the Brits view it as a room party for New York fans meeting Philadelphia fans, and in the same breath claim it was inspired by advance advertising for the Leeds Convention anyway, so it doesn’t count, and besides, only about a dozen fans ( Frederik Pohl says just nine ) participated, whereas the formerly planned Leeds convention attracted the vast horde of twenty rabid fans! Though to be fair, an influenza epidemic in Britain at that time decided many fen against attending.

Rob Hanson, in his history of British Fandom titled THEN, comments: “rival claims are sometimes made that a gathering in the US a few months prior to this constituted the first SF convention but these are disregarded by most serious fanhistorians…”

I think the sticking point is whether or not the Philcon 1 can be considered a formal convention. Perhaps the most serious fanhistorian of them all, Sam Moskowitz, wrote in his THE IMMORTAL STORM history of 1930’s fandom the following points:

“Philadelphia was decided on, chiefly because [ Donald ] Wollheim had hit upon the novel idea of meeting with out-of- town fans and thereby calling the affair a Science Fiction Convention. Intrigued with this plan, members [ of the International Science Club, the ISA of New York ] made hurried arrangements…. After viewing the town both groups convened at Rothman’s home and engaged in a bit of officiality that gave them the uncontested title to the first convention in fan history. Rotham was elected convention chairman and [ Frederik ] Pohl secretary. It is interesting to note that but for this scrap of democratic procedure the honor would doubtless have gone to British fans, who held a well-planned gathering on January 3 rd , 1937, in Leeds…”

Did Wollheim come up with the convention idea independently or was he simply tinkering something together in order to beat the announced British convention? Coincidence, or dirty trick? I think I’ll just be diplomatic and state that Philcon 1 was the first Sci-Fi convention in the States and the Leeds convention was the first Sci-Fi convention in the UK and the question of which counts as the first true Sci-Fi convention I’ll leave for those with nothing better to do.

At any rate, the first national convention taking place in the Theosophical Hall in Leeds was considered a rousing success. Walter Gillings gave a talk on his proposed fanzine SCIENTIFICTION ( which was published shortly thereafter ), Ted Carnell spoke about the numerous fan groups in America ( and warned British fans not to imitate their petty squabbling, which, as THE IMMORTAL STORM later concisely recorded, reached truly epic, not to say insane, proportions ), and Arthur C. Clarke in his capacity as Treasurer of the London BIS, related everything that had gone into making the London group a success and that now all that was wanting was to begin practical research into the problems of space travel.

One result of the convention was the decision to establish a new National organization as a kind of umbrella group for all fan organizations to be called the SFA ( Science Fiction Association ) with an already existing fanzine NOVAE TERRA to become its house organ.

In March of 1937 the London Branch of the BIS became the official nationwide headquarters of the BIS, and proceeded to publish the organization’s newsletter, THE BIS JOURNAL under the editorship of Ted Carnell. It appears that everyone in the BIS were also members of the SFA, so it’s not totally surprising that as of October 1937 the London branch of the BIS took over NOVAE TERRA publication, with Ted Carnell, Maurice Hanson, and Arthur C. Clarke as editors.

Also in October ( on Sunday 3 rd ) the first official meeting of the London SFA took place in a private home. Probably Clarke was present. The second monthly meeting of the London SFA was held Sunday 7 th November in the Ancient Order of Druid’s Memorial Hall at 14-18 Lamb’s Conduit Street in Holbern, and for many months to come the formal meetings were always held there. I assume Clarke usually attended.

Informal weekly meetings of the SFA were also held, always on Thursdays, beginning 9 th December 1937, at J. Lyons’ Teashop at 36/38 New Oxford Street, and these Clarke frequently attended. He was getting to be considered one of the more prominent fans in Britain, so I assume he was definitely involved with the second national convention which took place in the Druid’s Hall on the 10 th of April 1938. Certainly he was acting as a kind of ambassador for both the BIS and SFA, journeying to Manchester to attend the official opening of the Manchester branch of the SFA, for instance.

Clarke at this time was anything but shy and retiring, so eager was he to expound on the future of space travel and mankind in general. Indeed in May 1938 a highly technical and very rude letter of his ( “I’m not particularly proud of it: the attempts at sarcasm and schoolboy humour now make me wince” ) appeared in John Campbell’s ASTOUNDING, in which he attacks one luckless MIT mathematician Leo Vernon for an earlier article stating, on the basis of incorrect science, that rocket warfare in space was impossible. This marks Clarke’s first appearance in a promag, albeit as a letterhack.

TO BE CONTINUED ( since the mugging played merry hell with my writing plans )

Many thanks to Rob Hanson for allowing me to use his excellent THEN: A HISTORY OF BRITISH FANDOM as source material. Other sources include Clarke’s ASTOUNDING DAYS and Moskowitz’s THE IMMORTAL STORM.

LATEST CANADIAN FANCYCLOPEDIA UPDATES

The Canadian Fancyclopedia is the Graeme’s ongoing attempt to put together a ‘Fancyclopedia III’ but one with an emphasis on the history of 20 th century Canadian Sci-Fi Fandom. See < http://members.shaw.ca/rgraeme/home.html >

NONE: thanks to the mugging.

LATEST ZINES ADDED TO EFANZINES.COM ARCHIVE

The Graeme’s WCSFAzine #8 , James A. Aleen’s KALIEN , Garth Spencer’s BCSFAzine #419 , Chris Garcia’s THE DRINK TANK #165 , Dick Geiss’s TABOO OPINIONS #102 , Bob Sabella’s VISIONS OF PARADISE #127 , Jean Martin & Chris Garcia’s SCIENCE FICTION/SAN FRANCISCO #63 , Dick Geiss’s TABOO OPINIONS #103 , Chris Garcia’s THE DRINK TANK #166 , Bill Wright’s INTERSTELLAR RAMJET SCOOP April 2008 , Earl Kemp’s eI 37 , CORFLU SILVER PROGRESS REPORT #3 , Dick Geiss’s TABOO OPINIONS #104 , Chris Garcia’s THE DRINK TANK #167 , Gary Mattingly’s SKUG , Bill Mill’s THE VOICES OF FANDOM PODCAST #15 , Dick Geiss’s TABOO OPINIONS #105 , CORFLU SILVER PROGRAM BOOK , Jean Martin & Chris Garcia’s SCIENCE FICTION/SAN FRANCISCO #64 , Peter Sullivan’s VIRTUAL TUCKER HOTEL , Andy Hooper’s Play FANOTCHKA , Mathew Appleton & Jessica Darago’s SOME FANTASTIC #14 , Dick Geiss’s TABOO OPINIONS #106 , Garth Spencer’s BCSFAzine #420 , Garth Spencer’s ISH #4 , JohnThiel’s SURPRISING STORIES #17 , Arnie Katz’s VEGAS FANDOM WEEKLY #105 , Tom Becker’s MY EVIL PLAN , Chris Garcia’s THE DRINK TANK #168 .

ZINEPHOBIA

NONE: thanks to the mugging.

ASK MR. SCIENCE!

( As submitted by Al Betz, Corresponding Secretary for Mr. Science. )

Mr. SM, of Vancouver, B.C. asks: What is Gravity?

The popular belief that Sir Isaac Newton invented gravity in 1687 as a means of more easily getting apples out of his tree has held back a true understanding of the nature of gravity for three centuries. The modern idea that gravity is an attractive force from within the mass of the Earth has no more validity than the former view. Gravity is, in fact, a repulsive force directed at us from outer space by aliens who are attempting to prevent us from leaving our planet to explore the universe. If it were not for their semi-successful efforts, we would be able to travel in space, as they do, in vehicles no more complicated than hot-air balloons.

Mr. JM, of Vancouver, B.C., asks: How can one prevent contact lenses from fogging, now that the cold, wet weather is here?

If, before inserting the lenses, one will first rub the entire front surface of both eyeballs with the cut end of a potato, fogging will be prevented. A further benefit of this method is that less grease will be required to fry the potato afterwards. 26

2008 FAAn Awards Results

Best Fanzine 1. Prolapse (Peter Weston) 2. Banana Wings (Mark Plummer & Claire Brialey) 3. Vegas Fandom Weekly (Arnie Katz) 4. Trap Door (Robert Lichtman 5. Askance (John Purcell) 6. eI (Earl Kemp) 7. Chunga (Hooper, Byers & juarez) 8. Pixel (David Burton) 9. File 770 (Mike Glyer) 10. Steam Engine Time

Best Fanwriter 1. Arnie Katz 2. Mark Plummer 2. Claire Brialey 4. Bruce Gillespie 5. Ted White 6. Andy Hooper 7. Graham Charnock 8. Robert Lichtman 9. Randy Byers 10. Chris Garcia

Best Fan Artist 1. Dan Steffan 2. Brad Foster 3. Harry Bell 4. Mark Schirmeister 5. Taral Wayne 6, Alan White 7. Frank Wu 8. Ross Chamberlain 9. Craig Smith 10. Kurt Erichsen

Best Website 1. efanzines.com (Bill Burns) 2. TheVoicesOf Fandom (Bill Mills) 3. fanac.org 4. Trufen.net (Victor Gonzalez) 5. Ansible.co.uk (Dave Langford) 6. corflu.org (Tracy Benton)

Best Letterhack 1. Robert Lichtman 2. Lloyd Penney 3. John Purcell 4. Mark Plummer 5. Milt Stevens 6. Graham Charnock 7. Eric Mayer 8. Mike Glicksohn 9. Claire Brialey 10. Peter Sullivan

Best New Fan 1. John Coxxon 2. Clare MacDonald 3. Warren Buff 4. Kristine Kopnisky 5. Peter Sullivan

Number One Fan Face 1. Arnie Katz 2. Chris Garcia 3. Robert Lichtman 4. Pete Weston 5. Ted White 6. Graham Charnock 7. Claire Brialey 8. James Bacon 9. Joyce Katz

COMMENTS: These were the results of the FAan vote at Corflu Silver in Las Vegas April 25-27, 2008 as reported in VEGAS FANDOM WEEKLY #105 by Arnie Katz. Lloyd ( and Yvonne? ) Penney were attending and I look forward to Lloyd’s promised Corflu Con report. Congratulations to Lloyd for placing second in the Letterhack category. Magnificent result considering the competition. Likewise congrats to Taral for placing 5 th in a vote largely dominated by American fans. Excellent result for a Canadian fan artist! Arnie Katz reports: “Corflu Silver had a total membership of 94 with a paid attendance of 82 — plus some who attended the kick-off party and a few who didn’t register.” And even more exciting for fans in BC: “Randy Byers will chair the next Corflu in Seattle. A lot of details remain to be finalized, because the bid came together only days before Corflu Silver.” 2009 Corflu in Seattle! Wowzers! NOTE: Corflu and Ditto are the only two Sci-Fi conventions devoted entirely to Fanzines and fanzine editors/ publishers. They represent a glorious opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the past & present SMOFS of fanzine fandom, to pick up some cool zines at auction, to meet some of your fellow faned/correspondents for the first time, and above all, to have fun, since both Corflu and Ditto, despite some programming, are by their very nature relaxacons. Paradise and Nirvana for fanzine fans and faneds. Very cool.

PRO/FAN AWARDS

CANVENTION 28 / PRIX AURORA BALLOT

Deadline for mail-in voting is Friday, May 9 th , 2008.

Deadline for on-line & on-site voting is Saturday, May 17 th 5pm, 2008.

To download ballot, go to: < http://www.prix-aurora-awards.ca./ >

2008 Prix Aurora Awards Voting Ballot / Bulletin de vote

The 2008 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards will be presented at Canvention 28, held in conjunction with KEYCON 25 ( KeyCon.org ), May 16 to 19, 2008, in Winnipeg. / En 2008, les Prix canadiens de la science-fiction et du fantastique seront présentés lors du congrès Canvention 28, organisé en conjonction avec KEYCON 25 (keycon.org), du 16 au 19 mai, à Winnipeg.

Who may vote / Pour voter:

1. One must be a Canadian citizen, not necessarily living in Canada, or a permanent resident, to vote. Il faut être un(e) citoyen(ne) canadien(ne), habitant ou non au Canada, ou un(e) résident(e) permanent(e).

2. To vote you must either have an attending or supporting membership to Keycon 25/Canvention 28, or pay a $5 voting fee. A supporting membership is $10 and only allows you to vote and receive convention publications.

Make cheques payable to Prix Aurora Awards .

Vous devez être un membre votant ou affilie de la Canvention. Une adhésion de support est $10. Elle vous permet de voter, mais non d'être présent, et on vous expédiera la liste des gagnants. Les frais de vote simple sont de 5$. Chèques au nom de Prix Aurora Awards.

How to Vote / Comment voter:

1. This is a preferential ballot. Please indicate your choices in order of preference, with 1 being your first choice, 2 being second choice, etc. If you have no preference for a particular item, leave it blank. Levote est préférentiel: indiquez vos choix par ordre de préférence, 1 correspondant à votre premier choix, 2 au second, etc. Si vous n'avez pas de préférence, ne mettez rien.

2. Ballots which are unsigned, or with missing addresses will not be counted. Only one ballot per person. Les bulletins de vote sans signature ou sans adresse ne seront pas pris en compte. Un seul bulletin de vote par personne.

Please mark the appropriate box: Prière de cocher la case appropriée:

___ I am an attending member of KeyCon 25 /Je suis inscrit à Keycon 25 ___ I am a supporting member of KeyCon 25/ Je suis membre de soutien à Keycon 25 ___ I will be paying a voting fee of $5/J'inclus 5$ pour voter.

Signature (required): Name / Nom (please print / en majuscules, s.v.p ): Address / Adresse : E-Mail address / Adresse électronique :

Send to/ envoyez à: Prix Aurora Awards 2008 1432 Velvet Road Gibsons BC V0N 1V5

Voting ballots must be mailed by May 7, 2008. / Tous les bulletins doivent être mis à la poste avant le 7 mai 2008.

There WILL be on-site voting.

Best Long-Form Work in English / Meilleur livre en anglais Best work of SF or Fantasy in a novel or fiction collection by a Canadian writer, published in 2007. ___ As Fate Decrees , Denysé Bridger (Edge) ___ The New Moon's Arms , Nalo Hopkinson (Warner) ___ The Moon Under Her Feet , Derwin Mak (Windstorm Creative) ___ Rollback , Robert J. Sawyer (Tor/ Analog ) ___ Cry Wolf , Edo van Belkom (McClelland & Stewart/Tundra) ___ No Award

Meilleur livre en français / Best Long-Form Work in French Dans la catégorie du meilleur roman ou recueil de fiction publié, écrit par un(e) écrivain(e) canadien(ne) et sorti au Canada en 2007, qui relève de la science-fiction ou du fantastique. ___ Alegracia et les Xayiris , Dominic Bellavance (Les Six Brumes) ___ La-haut sur la Colline , Claude Bolduc ( Solaris 161 et 164) ___ Cimetière du musée , Diane Boudreau (du Phoenix) ___ Le Parasite , Georges LaFontaine (Guy Saint-Jean) ___ Arielle Queen , Michel J. Lévesque (Les Intouchables) ___ Pas de prix

Best Short-Form Work in English / Meilleure nouvelle en anglais 29

For a published SF or Fantasy novella, novelette, short story or poem by a Canadian writer, released in Canada in 2007. ___ “Falling,” David Clink ( On Spec Fall 2007) (poem) ___ “Saturn in G Minor,” Stephen Kotowych ( Writers of the Future XXIII , Galaxy Press) (short story) ___ “Metamorphoses in Amber,” Tony Pi ( Abyss & Apex #24, Q4/2007) (novelette) ___ “The Dancer at the Red Door,” Douglas Smith ( Under Cover of Darkness , Julie E. Czerneda and Jana Paniccia, eds., DAW) (short story) ___ “Like Water in the Desert,” Hayden Trenholm ( Challenging Destiny #24) (novelette) ___ No Award

Meilleure nouvelle en françai s/ Best Short-Form Work in French Dans la catégorie de la meilleure nouvelle ou du meilleur poème écrit et publié par un(e) écrivain(e) canadien(ne) et sorti au Canada en 2007, qui relève de la science-fiction ou du fantastique. ___ “Le Luthier,” Mathieu Fortin ( Solaris 162) ___ “Les Lucioles d'Alliante,” Michèle Laframboise, ( QUAD9 magazine 5B, CFORP) ___ “L'Ancienne famille,” Michel J. Lévesque, (Les Six Brumes) ___ “Le sang noir,” Michel J. Lévesque ( Solaris 161) ___ “Sur la plage des épaves,” Laurent MacAllister ( Solaris 164) ___ Pas de prix

Best Work in English (Other) / Meilleur ouvrage en anglais (Autre) For SF or Fantasy activity, in English, by a Canadian, in 2007 not encompassed by the previous categories. ___ Polaris: A Celebration of Polar Science , Julie E. Czerneda, ed., Star Ink Books ___ Under Cover of Darkness , Julie E. Czerneda & Jana Paniccia, eds., DAW ___ Tesseracts Eleven , Cory Doctorow and Holly Phillips, eds., Edge ___ Neo-opsis magazine, Karl Johanson, ed., Issues 11, 12,& 13 ___ On Spec magazine, Diane Walton, managing ed. ___ No Award

Meilleur ouvrage en français (Autre) / Best Work in French (Other) Dans la catégorie du meilleur travail relevant de la science-fiction ou du fantastique canadiens en 2007, qui n'est pas compris dans les catégories précédentes. No Nominations

Artistic Achievemen / Accomplissement artistique For a work or body of work produced by a Canadian artist during 2007. / Pour une oeuvre ou pour la production artistique d'un(e) Canadien(ne) en 2007. ___ Lar deSouza (On Spec Winter 2007, Parsec Spring/Summer 2007) ___ Stephanie Ann Johanson Neo-opsis Issue 11, March 2007, interior illustrations ___ Jean-Pierre Normand ___ Martin Springett ___ Ronn Sutton (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 165 and 166 [Jan-Feb 2007], Claypool Comics) ___ No Award / Pas de prix

Fan Achievement (Fanzine) / Accomplissement fanique (Fanzine) For a Canadian fanzine or newsletter relating to SF or Fantasy published in 2007. / Pour un fanzine ou bulletin fanique canadien, qui traite du milieu de la science-fiction ou du fantastique, publié au moins une fois en 2007. ___ Opuntia , Dale Spiers ___ No Award / Pas de prix

Fan Achievement (Organizational) / Accomplissement fanique (Organisation) For individual contributions to Canadian SF convention or club activities during 2007. / Pour des contributions à des congrès ou des activités de clubs canadiens en 2007. ___ Debbie Hodgins , KAG ___ Penny Lipman , masquerades ___ Roy Miles , IDIC ___ Joan Sherman , IDIC ___ Geoffrey Toop , DWIN ___ No Award / Pas de prix

Fan Achievement (Other) / Accomplissement fanique (autre) 30

For Canadian fan activity in 2007 not encompassed by the previous two categories. / Pour des activités faniques canadiennes en 2007 qui ne sont pas comprises dans les deux catégories précédentes. ___ Paul Bobbitt , editor, The Voyageur ___ Judith Hayman , filk performances ___ Peggy Warner LaLonde , filk performances ___ Martin Springett , filk performances ___ Larry Stewart , master of ceremonies ___ No Award / Pas de prix

FILTHY PRO NEWS

THE ONGOING SAGA OF PROMOTING

ALYX J. SHAW’S FANTASY NOVEL

‘A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME’

By The Graeme -- her husband

Well, the first results of the online publishing of A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME are in. Seems the publisher gives facts and figures every quarter. Alyx sold 117 online copies in the first four weeks which, for a ‘first-time’ online author is apparently unusually good. And since she receives 35% of the $5.95 price of each issue sold, it makes for a pleasant little cheque. Presumably, as word of mouth spreads, and the novel remains available, each quarter to come will result in higher numbers and more earnings. Bear in mind royalties for paperbacks or even hardcovers are usually 3% or less for a beginning author, and that – while the upfront advance might be as much as $1,000 or more – it’s not uncommon for newbies to be told their book didn’t earn enough to cover the advance, let alone royalties. Furthermore, books by newbies have an extremely limited shelf-life. If it doesn’t sell, it gets pulled. The life of some books can be measured in weeks, sometimes mere days. Bookstores are not libraries. They stock product, not books. If the product doesn’t sell, back go the covers to the distributor ( and the rest gets thrown away ). At least, that’s how it was a few decades ago. I don’t know what the modern practice is. So, for a beginning ‘paper’ author, a promotion blitz is absolutely vital, and you can’t count on the publisher to do it for you, not any more. Many publishers don’t even proofread these days, so keen are they to cut costs. And word of mouth isn’t what it used to be, since by the time someone decides to check out a new novel their friends are raving about the local bookstore may no longer carry it. True, you might still be able to order it, but that’s an extra step and an annoying wait. Why not just borrow your friend’s copy? Tough times for beginning ‘paper’ authors. But with E-books, it costs virtually nothing to slap it online and keep it available for years. Each issue sold is money in the bank for both the publisher and the author. And if your reputation builds, and each new fan wants everything you’ve published, and none of your work has gone out of print, as time goes on you have the potential for a snowball rolling downhill effect that builds and builds your income. This is a good thing. Plus, Alyx already has a built-in fan base because of her fan fiction which she has posted online for free over the past few years. She has two fan clubs, one of them based in Europe I believe. Indeed, fans have voluntarily translated some of her work into German, and in one case, Chinese ( and posted it online in China ). Enthusiastic fans are a publicist’s dream! Alyx did two online readings and Q&A sessions which attracted a total of about 40 fans, most of them fans already familiar with her work, some of them fellow Torquere authors curious about her relationship with her fans, and some newcomers attracted by word of mouth. While Alyx read people typed in comments, and then she verbally answered typed questions. Here, in no particular order, are some of the comments people made: ppyropigeon : “Can I have a Moonhound for xmas? She sounds hot.” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “I can only imagine what it must be to invite her to dinner steak.” ppyropigeon : “Mmmmm. Entrails. Glad I finished my sandwhich.”

31 votebob : “You know that girl from The Hills was called a "feminist hero," which is funny on its own, but just damn hilarious when you consider her next to the Moonhound.” vivrbn : “Whats up with the blades on Arrowsmiths boots??” a_j_marks : “And den Arrowsmith does jam session with Dethklok!” ppyropigeon : “Question: Moonhound, great character...where did she come from?” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “Question: of great importance: underwear, it does not exist in A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME? Right?” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “The Moonhound wears silky underwear?!” a_j_marks : “What can you tell us about Dragonhawks?” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “ You are as cool as her, except you don't kill ogres” ppyropigeon : “Is that just cause there’s a lack of ogres in Canada?” vivrbn : “How long does it take you to flush out a story?” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “What made Infamous so infamous?” votebob : “I love how you made the thieves into some of the good guys of the story. Where did that idea (notion? belief?) come from?” votebob : “Infamous is my favorite of all your characters.” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “We just have the attention span of a drunk goldfish.” ppyropigeon : “So what are the release dates looking like for books 2 and 3?” ppyropigeon : “A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME Moonhound calendar? I'm really taken with her.” pointy_eared_bow_twanger : “There already is some – plug the website.” mordhena : “You mentioned that much of your world is based on Irish legend, I was just wondering, is the Moonhound based on a Native American legend? I didn't hear a lot of the reading, but I was just curious.” vivrbn : “Speaking of Moonhound, I love that you have the wolves such positive feature of this... reality?” votebob : “What, we have to pee on your tent for you to love us?” ppyropigeon : “The closest I get to nature around here is doing the washing up.” a_j_marks : “I live in Seoul. What is this 'nature' you speak of?” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “I live in Buenos Aires, the biggest mountain is a lump on the road.” votebob : “ Who is better in bed: Moonhound or infamous?” tracy_purnell : “I really enjoyed the reading, ma'am. Thanks for letting me listen! Goodnight!” vivrbn : “Are you eventually going to write a Silmarilian for A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME?” a_j_marks : “Awwww. All funs is over?” avoice2003 : “No no thank YOU this was awesome!”

32 votebob : “Thank you for reading for us! I love your writing.” blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree : “Can we get a recorded copy of this?”

The above gives you a good idea how much fun promotion can be, and how important interaction with your fans ( readers ) is, don’t neglect them! Alyx tries to answer every email. She sometimes gets as many as 300 emails a day! Her website up to 10,000 hits a month! It’s hard work relating to your fans, but rewarding. Note: So far, most of Alyx’s fans have to do with her free online fan fiction. The task at hand is to convert them to fans of her professional online fiction. But it’s a handy start to have a pre-existing fan base to build on, so much better than casting one’s first professional work out into the void of potential readers who have yet to hear about you. Beginning authors may want to take this into account. Never too early to begin promotion, even before professional publication! Note: ‘blackbirdandmoonhoundunderatree’ is a fan’s online handle inspired by the novel. Meanwhile, A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME is starting to get reviewed at various independent web-sites. Here is a review posted on a literary review site called FALLEN ANGELS:

“John Arrowsmith is an odd man. Abandoned as an infant with a motorcycle gang, they have raised him in the best way that they know how. He’s always been a bit spooky but his friends and family love him. When Arrowsmith feels a pull to travel to some unknown place, he builds a huge custom motorcycle to match his large frame, his friends just shrug it off as Arrowsmith being Arrowsmith and wish him luck on his journey. Little do any of them know that this urge will lead Arrowsmith and his bike Harley on the adventure of a lifetime.” “I just can’t say how much I enjoyed this book. Words are completely inadequate. Alyx J. Shaw has taken every element that I love about the fantasy genre and put it all into one awesome book. A Strange Place in Time is a story of how friendship and love bind us together for all time. A story of epic proportions, I just could not put it down. When I read the last page I actually screamed in frustration and immediately launched myself at the computer to find out when I could continue on this journey with Arrowsmith, Infamous, Moonhound, and all the other wonderfully intriguing characters. I can’t wait to find out more about each one and how they fit into this fabulous world that Alyx J. Shaw has built. Written with wit and a keen eye for human behavior, A Strange Place in Time is a book that I highly recommend to all readers who enjoy watching an epic story, my only complaint is that it ended way too soon and I’m still suffering from book grief.” “ Reviewed by: Hayley”

This is the kind of review publicists kill for. I assume Hayley will purchase the two sequels when they appear. And if just a few of Hayley’s readers do the same… and bear in mind the wonderful fact that many readers today share their enthusiasms with friends via email and online chat rooms… the snowball is beginning to roll. I hope the slope is a long one. As matters progress I will comment further. Probably won’t hear from the publisher again till the end of the current quarter, or about some time in August, but chances are Alyx’s fans will let her know of any further reviews, etc. See Alyx’s entry below in AUTHOR HAPPENINGS OF LOCAL INTEREST to look up her web sites and/or order her novel A STRANGE PLACE IN TIME and/or her three story sampler LOVE SAVES THE DAY.

AUTHOR HAPPENINGS OF LOCAL INTEREST

( New information highlighted in violet. )

DON DEBRANDT < http://www.sfwa.org/members/DeBrandt/index.html >

Don has his ‘Cyberjunk’ website, which has not been updated in several years. See his website under the name ‘Donn Cortez’ < http://www.donncortez.com > for a complete listing of books, stories, articles & comics under both names. Don lives in the Lower Mainland area. His latest books include the mystery ‘The Man Burns Tonight’ and the thriller ‘The Closer’ . Don has also written the four volumes of the CSI MIAMI series titled ‘Cult Following’ , ‘Riptide’ , ‘Harm For The Holidays: Misgivings’ & ‘Harm For The Holidays: Heart Attack’ . He is currently under contract to write three more volumes. Here is the opening paragraph of ‘Cult Following’ : “Lightning flashed in the sky like paparazzi chasing angels; the detonation that followed an instant later sounded more like dynamite going off than thunder. A September storm in Miami, Horatio Caine thought as he pulled his Hummer over to the curb and parked, was more like an aerial assault than a natural phenomenon. It could explode overhead with a boom so intense it sometimes jolted tourists into an involuntary shriek in response.” Currently he is returning to his roots by working on a Sci-Fi trilogy, starting with his upcoming hardcover mystery/scifi novel ‘Lucidity’ , which is about two ‘Etectives’ ( emotive detectives ) in the near future where emotions can be read, implanted, bought, sold, and stolen. As Don put it, “I am always searching for a new pantheon” and for the purposes of this trilogy “took a hard Sci-Fi approach to New Age Mythology”. As a result certain ‘soft’ sciences like sociology and

33 sexology are now shifted into the realm of ‘hard’ science, and certain ‘fringe’ sciences like Telepathy and UFOlogy become ‘soft’ sciences. The first volume ‘Lucidity’ will be published in 2009. A review of ‘The Man Burns Tonight’: "This wild and completely uninhibited read is for those who like plenty of adventure in their tales and who can keep an open mind to experiences that don't exactly follow the norm. So if this describes you, then buckle up and prepare yourself for one hell of a crazy madcap ride. Cortez takes the reader through the inside out world that is Burning Man and makes it a delight, a challenge, and just plain good fun. Feeling an awful lot like an adult version of Alice in Wonderland, this very skewed look at life is humorous and highly intoxicating, all providing for a grandly entertaining read that comes highly rated." -- New Mystery Reader A review of ‘The Closer’ : "A top-notch thriller--lean, mean, and scary as hell!" -- Jonathan Nasaw

DAVE DUNCAN < http://www.daveduncan.com >

Dave lives in Victoria, B.C. His latest books: ‘The Alchemist’s Apprentice’ , & ‘Children of Chaos’ ( the latter winning the ‘Best Long-Form Work in English’ Aurora Award at Canvention 27/VCON 32 which he was happy to accept in person from presenter Peter S. Beagle ). “I'm told I got a standing ovation as well, but I was too astonished to notice. My thanks to all those who voted (and possibly stood).” ‘Alchemist’s Apprentice’ is available in trade paperback, & as of February 2008 in mass market paperback from ACE.. ‘The Alchemist’s Code’ has been released by Ace in trade paperback & ‘Mother of Lies’ ( presently available in hardcover ) is now released by Tor in mass market paperback. In August 2008 ‘Ill Met in the Arena’ will be released by Tor in hardcover . “Why ‘a series of one’? Because at the moment this is a standalone novel…I like this world a lot, so I may revisit it if enough readers agree… The story is told in an odd fashion, which I hope will not put you off. When you get to the end you will see why it had to be structured this way.” “I shall be attending the 25th KEYCON in Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 17th to 19th. Believe me, Keycon never disappoints! Hope to see you there…. I shall also be reading in Toronto on May 20th and 22nd. Details TBA.” ( See his website above for details on the readings ) “Originally from Scotland, Dave Duncan has lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds are more satisfying than the real one, he has published more than thirty novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical. He has at times been Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?"). “ “His most successful works have been fantasy series : " The Seventh Sword ", " A Man of His Word " and its sequel , "A Handful of Men ", and the ongoing series about " The King's Blades "

WILLIAM GIBSON < http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com >

Bill lives in Vancouver. Check out his web site for his Q&A interview ‘Across the Border to Spook Country’. His latest book: ‘Spook Country’ . "Despite a full complement of thieves, pushers and pirates, Spook Country is less a conventional thriller than a devastatingly precise reflection of the American zeitgeist, and it bears comparison to the best work of Don DeLillo. Although he is a very different sort of writer, Gibson, like DeLillo, writes fiction that is powerfully attuned to the currents of dread, dismay and baffled fury that permeate our culture. Spook Country -- which is a beautifully multi- leveled title -- takes an unflinching look at that culture. With a clear eye and a minimum of editorial comment, Gibson shows us a country that has drifted dangerously from its governing principles, evoking a kind of ironic nostalgia for a time when, as one character puts it, "grown-ups still ran things." In Spook Country , Gibson takes another large step forward and reaffirms his position as one of the most astute and entertaining commentators on our astonishing, chaotic present." – Washington Post Book World

MATT HUGHES < http://www.archonate.com/ >

Matt lives on Vancouver Island. He was one of the presenters at the VCON 32 Aurora Awards ceremony. His first Henghis Hapthorn novel ‘Majestrum’ is now out in trade paperback from Nightshade Books. The second novel in the series , ‘The Spiral Labyrinth’ is available from Nightshade Books in hardcover. The complete Guth Bandar saga is now published as a novel titled ‘The Commons’ from Robert J. Sawyer Books. On his website Matt writes : “I'm about halfway through the revisions on Hespira , and it's coming along fine. These days, my memory seems to be all short-term; I have only a vague sense of what I wrote two or three months ago, so I keep coming across little bits of business in the ms that I've forgotten about. Keeps the work interesting.”

“Yesterday, I picked up the mail that had been accumulating at my mailing address in Harrogate and found that it included my Nebula Awards ballot. I was of two minds about whether or not it was ethical to vote for myself. But today I sat down and looked at the voting rules and discovered that yesterday was the last day. So I was spared a moral dilemma, which is how I generally prefer it.” “I'd forgotten that I'd written the first draft of "Enemy of the Good," a 12,000-word Luff Imbry novelette back in December. I've polished it up and will send it off to F&SF in the near future.” “Here's a special free-read offer for reviewers, bloggers, newsgroup posters and people who just like to talk about books in public: next month, PS Publishing will release Template , a stand-alone Archonate novel that I consider to be my best work yet (even though it was written in 2003). I will send an rtf file of the book to anyone who commits to review, blog, post or otherwise harass the world about it. Just send me an e-mail at "himself(you know what symbol goes in here)archonate.com" and I'll shoot you a copy.”

EILEEN KERNAGHAN < http://www.lonelycry.ca/ek/ >

Eileen lives in the Lower Mainland area and attended VCON 32. Check out her latest books: ‘ Winter on the Plain of Ghosts: a Novel of Mohenjo-daro’ , ‘ The Alchemist’s Daughter’ , & ‘ The Sarsen Witch’ . Her latest Young Adult Novel ‘Wild Talent, A Novel of the Supernatural’ is scheduled for September 2008 publishing by Thistledown Press. Also from Thistledown Press is Eileen’s: The Snow Queen “This lovely Young Adult book (handsomely packaged with classic cover art by Charles Robinson) is a novel-length reworking of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. Set in 19th-century Scandinavia, it explores the place of women in Danish society while drawing upon Saami shamanistic traditions. It’s a deceptively gentle tale, lyrically written by a long underrated Canadian fantasist.” (Terri Windling) And also: The Alchemist’s Daughter “This brief and witty historical novel, with overtones of fantasy, is both intellectual and entertaining. Kernaghan takes us back into the Early Modern period to treat with Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare through the adventures of Sidonie Quince, an alchemist's daughter. The text is filled with curious details of alchemy, with its rich allusions and metaphysical maunderings, demonstrating the interplay between magic and science admirably, both in the alchemist father's teachings and in the doings of the daugher, who is a seer.” ( Helen Pilinovsky )

CRAWFORD KILIAN < http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/ >

Continues to teach at Capilano College in North Vancouver. His latest books: ‘Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy’ ( 1998 ), & ‘Writing for the Web’ ( 1999 ). See E-address above for his blog. He is currently working on another novel, plus “a couple of nonfiction books and articles for online journals.” Both of the books mentioned above are available from Self Counsel Press; < http://www.self-counsel.com/ca/ > On his Blog site Kilian quotes from a 1994 essay of his: “…politicians have a new medium to deal with: the Internet. So far they are using it clumsily, treating it as an odd mix of print and TV. But just as they learned the lessons of television, they will learn how to campaign in cyberspace.” “They’ll have their work cut out for them. Most sensible politicians, after lurking on the Net for a time, would prefer to campaign by throwing bottled leaflets into the Pacific rather than use the Internet.” “Political discourse on the Net—at least in the Usenet newsgroups—is on a par with turf wars among the howler monkeys. Tribes of fanatics battle for control of newsgroups: gun nuts, anti-gun nuts, school voucherists, libertarians, semiliterate teenagers .” “ …. Well, earlier politicians learned to use new media or die. If they failed to adapt, their careers ended whether they were good politicians or not. (In Richard Nixon’s case, TV killed and resurrected him several times.) So the successful politicians of the early 21st century will indeed exploit the Net—probably more effectively than they have with television.”

DONNA MCMAHON < http://www.donna-mcmahon.com/ >

Lives in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast and attended VCON 32. She won a 2001 Aurora Award for her book reviews published in Tomorrow SF, BCSFAzine & other publications. Check out her novel ‘Dance of Knives’ which is set in Vancouver in the year 2108. The sequel ‘Second Childhood’ is pending publication. Here are the opening paragraphs of the prologue for ‘Dance of Knives’ : “The boy danced on shimmering moonlight across a glass sea, spinning joyously, stretching to trail his fingers through the silver black ceiling of storm clouds. At the edge of his vision, ripples...” “Blade glanced quickly to confirm the identity of the slight figure approaching along the old float--Linden Chan, operative for the Viet Ching--then he ducked his head beneath the level of the boat's rail and exhaled underneath his 35 infrared-masking serape, waiting for Chan to complete her surveillance scan. No motion disturbed his hiding place. In the cabin below, a water taxi family huddled in rigid terror, knowing he would kill them if any sound or movement betrayed him. Since securing them some hours ago he had lain prone on the water taxi deck under a heap of tarps, waiting to observe Chan's drop. The intercepted Viet Ching message had given a time, but no other details.” “He raised his head, risking a glance. Chan stood just three meters in front of him, her back turned, scanning the harbor and surrounding boats for electronic or human surveillance. At the top of the ramp leading to the Pender Street wharf, two figures stood silhouetted against distant lights--Chan's henches. The drop must be so discreet that she didn't want them to observe the details. Interesting.” “Blade slid his goggles over his eyes, switched to enhanced ambient light and began recording. Chan, now clearly visible to him, finished her scan, then walked to the pilings anchoring the end of the float and crouched down under the sign which read "Reserved 24 hours for Harbour Patrol." The end of the old float sagged low in the water, its lichen-encrusted foot-rails half rotted away. Beyond, nav hazard lights blinked, marking drowned buildings. An old elevator shaft jutted skeletally out of black seawater.” “I’m Canadian. I write a kinder, gentler future urban hell.” – Donna .

NINA MUNTEANU < http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~munteanu/home.html >

( Note: < http://www.ninamunteanu.com > no longer takes you to Nina’s website. It is instead some sort of Women’s clothing site . For a while the above mypage site was active, but now nothing happens when I click on it. Goggling various connections to her SF GIRL site fails to connect as well. Hopefully this will change soon? Lives and teaches in Victoria, B.C. You can order her Sci-Fi novel ‘Darwin’s Paradox’ by Dragon Moon Press from Amazon.ca ( release date was November 15, 2007 ), and her short story ‘Virtually Yours’ is to be found in ‘The Best of Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine’ anthology published by Bundoran Press and unveiled at VCON 32. Nina contributes frequently to the blog page on her web site. Recent articles include: ‘Power to the Tiny: Nanogenerators Scavenge Energy’, ‘The Physics, Biology and Chemistry of Angels’, & ‘Designer Organisms Promise New Life…At What Cost?”

SPIDER ROBINSON < http://www.spiderrobinson.com/index2.html >

Spider lives in the Lower Mainland area. His latest book : ‘Variable Star’, (Tor ). “The hardcover is in its third printing, the reviews have been most gratifying, and an avalanche of reader mail has warmed Spider’s heart.” The first 8 chapters are posted on the site http://www.variablestarbook.com/ , and the paperback hit the stands November 27th. Around the same time, Baen Books published the hardcover, ‘The Lifehouse Trilogy’ , a reissue of ‘Mindkiller’ , ‘Time Pressure’ and ‘Lifehouse’ : < http://www.spiderrobinson.com/books.html > “And ‘The Stardance Trilogy’ , the omnibus of his collaborations with Jeanne, based on their Hugo- and Nebula- winning novellas ( ‘Stardance’ , ‘Starseed’ , and ‘Starmind’ will soon be released as a Blackstone Audiobook.” And then there’s the exciting Stardance movie project slated to be produced in Imax format by James Sposto. For more information go to: < http://www.stardancemovie.com > Most amazing of all, on December 30 th 2007 Jeanne Robinson & Dancer Kathleen McDonagh experimented in Zero G dancing aboard a ‘vomit comet’. See the above article ‘Stardance Happened Now!’, and go to Jeanne’s blog at < http://stardancemovie.blogspot.com/ > for the latest info and film clips of this historical first! Also check out Spider’s latest podcasts at: < http://www.spiderrobinson.com/podcast.html > Recent topics include readings from his novel ‘Very Hard Deaths’ and its sequel ‘Very Hard Choices’ . Earlier podcasts include reading the first chapter of Heinlein’s ‘Rocket Ship Galileo’, Take note that on “July 4 - 6, 2008 at the Vancouver Island Music Festival in Courtney, BC ( for more info see: < http://www.islandmusicfest.com/ > ) Spider will be sharing the stage with musician Todd Butler, and comedian/actor Harry Shearer, one of the voice actors on the Simpson’s.” “As a special, once-in-a-lifetime offer, we are proud to present sample columns collected in The Crazy Years: Reflections of a Science Fiction Original (Benbella Paperback, November 2004) . This special posting is the only chance readers will ever get to see exactly what Spider wrote, with no intervening vision and no changes or cuts at all—a rare intimacy between reader and writer.” See < http://www.spiderrobinson.com/crazyyears.html > Current column is #38, CYBERSPACE CADETS, about Microsoft problems and a surprise windfall for the tiny nation of Tuvalu.

ROBERT J. SAWYER < http://www.sfwriter.com/ >

Robert lives in Mississauga, was a program participant at VCON 32, as well as MC for the Aurora Awards.

“Rob recently signed a six-figure deal jointly with Ace Science Fiction (a division of Penguin USA) and Penguin Canada for a new trilogy about the World Wide Web gaining consciousness…. The three volumes have the working titles of ‘ Wake’ , ‘ Watch’ , and ‘ Wonder ’, and collectively will be known as the ‘ WWW’ trilogy. Read all about the deal in this entry in Rob's blog .” Rob will be a panelist at Keycon 25 in Winnipeg, May 16-19, 2008, Special Guest at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA, July 24-27, 2008, and a panelist at Denvention 3 Worldcon, Denver, Colorado, Aug 6-10, 2008, & at World Fantasy Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Oct 30 – Nov 3, 2008. ROBERT J. SAWYER — who won the best novel Hugo Award in 2003 — is nominated again this year for his novel Rollback . Reviews for Rollback have been glowing... Quill & Quire , the Canadian publishing trade journal, which earlier this year named Sawyer "one of the 30 most influential, innovative, and just plain powerful people in Canadian publishing," had this to say: " Rollback is a reminder of why Sawyer is one of our most highly regarded writers of speculative fiction, able to handle the demands of the heart and the cosmos with equal skill." Rollback is Sawyer's seventeenth novel. It tells the story of Don and Sarah Halifax, an elderly couple in Toronto who are offered a chance to be rejuvenated, restoring their youth. But although the process succeeds for Don, it fails for Sarah; the novel deals with the impact this has on their marriage.” Note: ROLLBACK is now available in Paperback. IDENTITY THEFT AND OTHER STORIES now published! "A collection of great stories; highly entertaining and thought-provoking. This book has something for almost any science-fiction fan." —Quill & Quire Now out from Red Deer Press! Robert J. Sawyer's second collection of short fiction, with an overall introduction by Robert Charles Wilson and RJS's own notes on each story. Includes the Hugo finalist "Shed Skin," the Nebula finalist "Identity Theft," the Aurora winners "Biding Time and "Ineluctable," and 13 others. More about Identity Theft and Other Stories

ALYX J. SHAW < http://alyx.wozupdoc.net/ >

( See also her live journal at < http://alyx-j-shaw.livejournal.com/ > ) Lives in Surrey. Her novel ‘The Recalling of John Arrowsmith’ ( Book One of her trilogy ‘A Strange Place in Time’ ), is available in hard cover by mail order from Doppelganger Press: < http://dopplegangerpress.com/ > The Recalling of John Arrowsmith is also now available from Torquere Press: < http://torquerebooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index > in electronic download PDF format for only $5.95 US. Note: ‘A Strange Place in Time’ is a completed trilogy. Both publishers have contracted to publish the remaining two novels ‘The White Palace Awakens’ and ‘The Merry Executioner Returns’ in due course. Also available at Torquere by Alyx is Taste Test: Love Saves The Day , a 3 story sampler of her fiction ready for download for only $2.49. Under ‘authors’ in the green section upper left hand corner of the website, select ‘Alyx Shaw’, click, and both works will come up. “Love really does save the day in this Taste Test from Alyx Shaw. Old lovers reunite, lives change, and romance flourishes in all three stories…. From broke Brian who gets an unexpected call from old lover Roger, changing his circumstances completely, to the hilarious Sebastion, a space explorer who meets his match in the alien Tiff, to the melancholy tale of Vyllis, who lost his one love long ago and has tried to make a new life, these stories will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love…. Let this collection save your day! Get a copy now!” Note: Alyx J. Shaw is also a regular contributor to ‘Forbidden Fruit’ online magazine which is updated quarterly.

LISA SMEDMAN < http://www.lisasmedman.topcities.com / >

Lives in the Vancouver area and attended VCON 32 as the Gaming GoH. Her latest novels (on the ‘Lady Penitent Trilogy’: Book 1 ‘ Sacrifice of the Widow’, and Book 2 ‘ Storm of the Dead’, plus upcoming later this fall, Book 3 ‘Ascendancy of the Last’ . Scrapyard 500 . An original tabletop miniatures game by Lisa Smedman. Scraptown was a pretty dull place. Oh sure, it had boozeholes, and fights, and the occasional drive-by shooting, but the wreckers and salvagers who lived there didn't have much to look at. Just the big heap o' scrap they were supposed to be salvaging for WasteTech>. Then someone came up with a bright idea. What if, he thought, I built something out of that scrap. Something fast. Something lethal. What if I took a scrapyard buggy and cranked up the engine, welded some nitro-jet boosters on the back, bolted armor onto the sides, and jammed a big-ass gun on top of the whole mess. And what if my buddies all did the same, and 37 we made it a race. A no-holds-barred, shoot whatever bastard takes the lead race around that big heap o' scrap. Scrapyard 500 was born. Scrapyard 500 is a fast-paced road race game in which players "build" race buggies, load them with weapons and compete in a no-holds-barred race around the Scraptown track. Playable either with the counters included in the rules or with 28mm scale miniatures and 1/35 scale vehicles, Scrapyard 500 offers five character types to choose from in building a race team, six weapons (everything from net guns for the pacifists to flame throwers and rocket launchers for those of a more lethal persuasion) plus a hex-based, build-it-yourself track that includes nine different hazard hexes that can be used to make a different track for each race. Rules are easy to learn and offer endless chaos and laughs. Remember, it's not how you win the race. It's winning that counts. To see sample pages from the game, click here . To order a download of the game, visit www.rpgnow.com .

NOTE: Most of these novels are available at White Dwarf Books , 3715 West 10 th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6R 2G5. Phone (604) 228 – 8223. E-address: < [email protected] > Web site < http://www..deadwrite.com/wd.html >

MEDIA MADNESS

RETRO FILM REVIEW: THE SLIME PEOPLE ( 1962 )

By The Graeme

This is a fascinating film essay on the sexual mores of Americans under stress. It begins with Tom Gregory ( Robert Hutton ) nearly crashing a light airplane as he flies into Los Angeles. The airport is deserted but for a professor ( played by Les Tremayne ) and his two daughters, Bonny and Lisa. They want him to fly them out, but he insists on being driven to a working phone. He doesn't ask what's going on till he's in their car. Explains Bonny, the youngest girl, "Well, first the slime people came, and then the whole army came to fight them, and they lost. Then the slime men built a big wall, but before it got hard enough, Los Angeles was evacuated and everybody was gone but the slime men!" ( This is my kind of film beginning. Quick and to the point. ) Tom mulls this over. "So why didn't you get out?" "We were up on a hill in the cabin. By the time we heard, we were stuck. But dad will get us out, he's a science professor." "What exactly happened?" Tom asks the professor. "Well now, we've always known there are fish in the ocean..." begins what will obviously be a very long-winded explanation. Very sensibly Tom threatens to throw himself out the car door. The Prof tries again, "an invasion of people who've lived right beneath our feet!" Tom stares him down. "Have you seen any?" "Well, no..." The Prof lapses into embarrassed silence. Then Tom reveals he's a sports broadcaster at the TV station. "Why don't we go there and see if they have this on film?" At the station he finds a film can labeled "The Slime People" and runs it in a screening room. We see footage of an announcer describing a series of unexplained mass murders, an interview with a Mrs. Steel who screams "The thing, they came at him, and he screamed!" Then a reference to the army going hand to hand with the creatures, followed by an interview with Dr. Brow: Announcer: "You saw these creatures. Are they from Outer Space?" Brow: "I believe they are a form of animal life from the sewers." Announcer: "Why are they attacking us?" Brow: "We have been doing extensive underground testing. I believe this has seriously disturbed their homes." ( Probably knocked pictures off the wall, things like that. ) "They have been forced by us to seek shelter above ground. That is why we have fog." Announcer: "How do they make fog?" Brow: "I don't know, but it is an attempt to permanently lower our temperature so they can live permanently above ground." Announcer: "What do these creatures look like?" Brow: "They are large, huge, prehistoric, covered with scales and slime." ( Thank you, for that scientifically precise description. ) The next scene shows the announcer broadcasting from a live remote in the fog. "Men are working to clear the fog." ( You can hear the sound of men with shovels. How do you clear fog with shovels? ) He sees a mime looming in the fog. "It can't be, the fog has hardened!" He asks a Colonel for a second opinion. "Well," says the Colonel thoughtfully, "the fog seems to have turned to stone all around the city." 38

"What about the army?" "They're on the other side of the wall now." Both men stare into space as they consider the implications. "Well, we better evacuate,” adds the Colonel, obviously coming to a tactical conclusion. “There are still openings to the south. We'll try to continue to penetrate the wall after we get everybody out." ( There is some slight flaw to the logic of this but I can't quite put my finger on it. ) Our heroes decide to panic, beat up some looters and run for the protection of a studio with "double doors". On the way, they see one of the slime people rise out of a loading elevator. It's a hump-backed, finny, heavy-set, sea-weedy kind of guy covered in limpets. They rush into the studio, close the first door -- without locking it -- then strive to close the second door as the beasts force open the first door and squirm through after them. They close the second door -- without locking it. Lisa asks Tom, "Do you think that will hold them?" ( I don't think so! ) Fortunately they run into Pat Boone....er, I mean Tom Laughlin. "Hi, I'm Cal." He's wearing a uniform and carrying a rifle, so they greet him in a friendly fashion. Tom gets the bright idea of attempting to transmit a TV telecast. "This is KCTV and we are being attacked by slime people." Cal grabs the mike, "This is no joke, I'm a marine." ( I don't know, seems like a joke. ) But the power goes off, so naturally there's nothing to do but talk and listen to the slime people beating on the doors. Cal describes fighting the slimers, "They knocked me out. I guess they left me for dead." Bonny is excited, "Gee Cal, you really fought with them?" ( This seems doubtful, his uniform appears freshly laundered and starched. Personally I think he's been hiding out in the studio since the trouble first began. ) Bonny's excitement is infectious, so naturally the subject turns to sex. "One minute there was just a wall," states Cal, "the next it got thick and hard." ( Which is a highly personal admission. No doubt Cal is trying to impress Bonny, but instead the Professor gets excited. ) "Did you touch it?" shouts the Professor. "Was it hot or cold or rough or smooth or what?" Tom cools things down, suggests everyone fall asleep. Cal stands first watch. Bonny creeps up on him. "I'll stay with you. Don't you want me to?" "Yeah, sure," grins Cal, then adds, "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Lots of dates" ( She's experienced ) "but no one special." ( She sleeps around! ) Quick to seize the opportunity, Cal puts his hand somewhere on her leg ( It's just below camera shot ) and asks, "Do you care?" "No," she replies encouragingly. A moment's hesitation. "I was worried, your dad was acting kind of funny, like he didn't want me here...." ( Thinking of shooting him, Cal? ) "You're so brave, fighting and everything...." breathes Bonny. Cal kisses her. "Maybe I shouldn't have." "I kinda liked that." Cal stares at her unblinkingly ( which is how you tell when someone is pretending not to lie ) and says, "I want you to know I'm not the kind of guy to go around kissing just ANY girl." ( Yeah, right, just the horny ones. God, these Marines are tough hombres. ) He stares at her, an idiotic grin on his face, then blurts out, "Gee whiz, as long as you're sitting here I don't even wanta think about those slime people." ( Boy, that's one king hell of a compliment. Make any girl blush! ) Strangely enough, in the morning Cal and Bonny volunteer to go off together to 'hunt up' some supplies. ( No doubt in the back seat of their car. ) Tom has plans of his own. When old Dad goes out of the room, Tom corners Lisa and comments, "For someone strong enough to take all of this, you're quite a gal." She replies, "For someone strong enough to get us out of all this, I think you should have more important things on your mind." They immediately embrace and kiss. ( Evidently she was worried he might NOT be thinking about sex. ) Dad comes back, grinning gleefully and muttering "penetrating that wall may be a valuable experiment." Tom is confused. ( Penetrating what? Which? ) The Professor explains. "If anything like this ever happens again, the whole world will have the answer right at their fingertips." Lisa bursts out laughing. "You see what it's like being the daughter of a scientist?" ( Silly old dad, always thinking about non-sexy stuff. ) Later they pick up a hitchhiker, a mad writer named Toliver, who's walking along the street carrying a goat, or a ram to be precise. They let him get in the car, but not the ram. "Please give me my little love," he pleads, but they are adamantly opposed to any kinky sex in their vehicle, which is reserved for normal sex. ( You see how subtle these old films are? Everything is merely implied, never openly explicit as in today's boring films. It's amazing the censor missed the sexual underpinnings of this one. I didn't take film class for nothing you know! ) Unfortunately the pace speeds up, what with Bonny being carried off, and rescued, and assorted slime people lurching about. There are actually 30 or 40 seconds at a time with no dialogue whatsoever! Incredible!

Naturally the Professor discovers what will defeat the wall ( and just as naturally discovers it by accident ). I'll give you a clue, my favourite line in the film: "But Professor," whines Cal, "We can't just walk through the slime men looking for more salt!" The wonderful thing about the final 15 minutes of the film is that the action takes place near the fog wall ( or more accurately, amid a forest of smoke pots ). Consequently, you can hardly see a darn thing, which makes the fog wall seem very authentic. This film is alleged to have had a major influence on horror-film directors George Romero and John Carpenter. Hmm, maybe....

UPCOMING NIFTY FILM PROJECTS:

ENLIGHTENED BLOOD is a Mexican Sci-Fi Horror flic by Ivan Avila about an alien who creates networks of human memories and experiences in the various bodies he swaps. Said to be based on actual ‘found’ memoirs. Sure… MISSING is a supernatural thriller from Hong Kong Director Tsui Hark. Said to have been filmed in a centuries-old sunken underwater city of some sort. Stars Angelica Lee from THE EYE. PACO AND THE MAGICAL PICTURE BOOK is by Tetsuya Nakashima ( KAMIKAZE GIRLS ) and has something to do with a girl retreating into a fantasy world absolutely ridden with eye candy and utterly gorgeous. Live action? THE SKY CRAWLERS is anime by Oshii ( GHOST IN THE SHELL ) and looks to be about WWII Shinden pilots, but glimpses of ‘enemy’ aircraft in the trailer may indicate an alternate universe concept. THE PET will be directed by David Silverman ( THE SIMPSONS MOVIE ) for Disney. About an ordinary bloke who somehow winds up being the pet of a bunch of aliens. Live action apparently. Could be fun.

UPCOMING CONVENTIONS

Sources < http://www.locusmag.com/Conventions.html > & < http://www.sfnorthwest.org/northwestcons.html#cons >

KEYCON 25 – ( May 16 – 19, 2008 ) at Radisson Skyview, 288 Portage Ave, Winnipeg MB. All rooms are $86.00 per night, plus applicable taxes, and are available at that rate from May 14 to May 21, 2008 Call the hotel at (204)-956- 0410. Mention Keycon to get the special rate!! Registration: Before Dec31st 2007 = $45 Cdn. Then $55 Cdn till April 30 th . At the door TBA. Child 5 to 12 years $35 Cdn. Mail in < Registration Form > and mail to: Keycon, PO Box 3178, Winnipeg MB R3C 4E6. Money orders and cheques accepted. Please make payable to: Keycon Mail in registrations accepted until April 30/2008 (by post-mark). Author Goh’s Eric Flint & Jane Yolen, Artist GoH: David Mattingly, Gaming GoH: Jamie Chambers & parody/filking GoH: Luke Ski. For more info see: < http://www.keycon.org/ >

CONCOMCON or C-CUBED 15 – ( June 13 – 15, 2008 ) at the Summit Lodge, Snoqualmie Pass, Washington State, USA. Room rates are $89 for a deluxe double room with microwave and a small refrigerator. You can make reservations by going to the web site http://www.snoqualm iesummitlodge. com/groups/ and using the group code ConComCon. Membership is $30 through June 6 and $40 at the door. ConComCon or C-Cubed is the annual Convention Committee Convention held every year in the Pacific Northwest. C-Cubed's mission is to bring convention and event planners together to share ideas and to learn from each other in order to improve their own events. C-Cubed's major sponsor is SWOC (Seattle Westercon Organization Committee). This year's theme is "Learning from Each Other or How Not to Reinvent the Wheel". This will be the fifteenth year of C-Cubed ! Whether you're part of the staff of a anime, comic, fantasy, furry, gaming, media, toy, sci-fi, or some other genre, C-Cubed will hopefully provide you with answers to your convention needs. For those of you that would be coming in from out of the Pacific Northwest. We'd recommend flying into Sea-Tac Airport. Snoqualmie Pass is about an hour drive east from thereon I-90. This is a regional convention with most of the Northwest cons being represented, but people from out of the area also attend. Check the website http://swoc. org/ccubed/ for any new information.

DENVENTION / WORLDCON 66 -- ( Aug 6 – 10, 2008 ) at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado. ( It’s gigantic! 6 exhibit halls total 584,000 sq ft, 62 meeting rooms total 100,00 sq ft, 2 ballrooms total 85,000 sq ft, one 5,000 seat theatre! You’ll need a GPS thingie to find your way around! ) Entire Mark Adam’s Hotel designated for party suites. 250 room block contracted for the Hyatt Hotel which adjoins the Convention Centre. PR2, hotel information and Hugo nomination ballots will be available no later than January 2008. Author GoH: Lois McMaster Bujold, Artist GoH: Rick Sternbach, Fan GoH: Tom Whitmore; Ghost of Honour: Robert Heinlein; Toast Master Will McCarthy. Current membership rates ( good till Dec 31 st , 2007 ) are Attending: $175 US, Supporting: $40 US, Child: $45 US. For online membership: < http://www.denvention3.org/wcdb/member_main.php > or for mail in form go to < membership form > For more info see website < http://www.denvention3.org/ >.

ANIME EVOLUTION -- ( Aug 22-24, 2008 ) at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby B.C. “Vancouver’s Japanese Animation Convention And Asian Cultural festival” with amv room & contest, cosplay & cosplay contest, industry guests, industry panels, live concerts, video rooms, art gallery, karoke, video games, dealers room, charity auction, game tournaments, and more! For info: < www.animeevolution.com >

VCON 33 -- ( Oct 3-5, 2008 ) Surrey, BC. Canada’s oldest ongoing Sci-Fi convention ( VCON 1 was held in 1971 ). Author GoH: Patrick Rothfuss ( author of ‘Name of the Wind’ ), Artist GoH: Lisa Snellings-Clark. Gaming GoH: James Ernest ( of Cheapass Games ). Hotel is the Compass Point Inn, *but* it is currently still called the Days Inn Surrey ( name changes in June ). Address: 9850 King George Highway, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 4Y3. Location description: Intersection of King George Highway (99A) and Fraser Highway (1A). Next to King George Skytrain Station (Expo Line eastmost terminal station).Website: < http://www.compasspointinn.com/ > Current pre-registration membership rate : $45 Cdn to June 1 st , then $50 till Sept 15 th , $60 at the door. Day rates: Friday: $30, Saturday: $35, Sunday: $25. Student rates are discounted by 25% (the at the door rate for students is $45) Children 7 - 12 are half the adult rate (at the door rate is $30) Children 6 and under get in free. The member registration form is downloadable from VCON's website at < http://www.vcon.ca/registration.htm > Make out cheques to ‘VCON’ and mail to VCON, c/o Box 78069, Grandview RPO, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V5N 5W1. Guest Room Rates: $99/night, single room (1-2 people), $109/night, double room (3-4 people).Unfortunately, no suites or kitchenettes are available. Phone or fax the hotel to get the VCON rate ("VCON, October 2-5, 2008"). A credit card or deposit is needed for a reservation. Floors 3, 4, and 5 are "quiet floors", and floors 2 and 6 are "party floors", to the best of the hotel's ability and availability. There are 81 rooms total (note that VCON's already taken some for GoHs and Operations). Telephone: 604-588-9511 Toll Free: 1-800-663-0660 Fax: 604-588-7949 If you’d like to helpVCON 33 write: < [email protected] > For updated info: < www.vcon.ca >

WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION 2008 -- ( Oct 30 - Nov 2, 2008 ) at the Hyatt Regency Calgary Hotel, 700 Centre Street SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 5P6. Tel: (403) 717-1234. Fax: (403) 537-4444. Web site: < http://www.calgary.hyatt.com > Room Rate: CDN $165 Single/Double Please mention “World Fantasy Convention” to receive the convention group rate and to properly credit our event. The group code that you want to use is WFCC or G- WFCC. This will give you the preferred rate of $165.00/night. This rate expires October 1, 2008. Author GoH’s David Morell & Barbara Hambly. Publisher GoH: Tom Doherty. Artist GoH: Todd Lockwood. Toastmaster: Tad Williams. Current Membership rate: $125 US or CDN. Supporting: $35 US or Cdn. Register on-line (via Pay Pal) at < http://www.worldfantasy2008.org/ro.html >, or to register by mail, go to < http://www.worldfantasy2008.org/reg.html > & choose appropriate form. For more Info check the convention website: < www.worldfantasy2008.org/ >.

ANTICIPATION / WORLDCON 67 -- ( Aug 6-10, 2009 ) Hotel: Palais des congres de Montreal. GoH: Neil Gaiman. Invitee d’honneur: Elisabeth Vonarburg. Fan GoH: Taral Wayne. Editor GoH: David Hartwell. Publisher GoH: Tom Doherty. MC: Julie Czerneda. Contact address: Anticipation, C.P. 105, Succursale NDG, Montreal, QC, Canada H4A 3P4. For info: < [email protected] > or < www.anticipationsf.ca >

LOCAL EVENTS:

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION : May 2 nd : ( SO YOU MISSED IT! But I include the info because I’ve never heard of this film before. ) The Park Theatre at 3440 Cambie Street in Vancouver is planning to show ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation’, a shot-for-shot remake of the original, made over seven years by three friends who were blown away upon seeing the original film. This is a charity screening sanctioned by Steven Spielberg to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. One showing only at 6:30 pm.

KRAZY! THE DELERIOUS WORLD OF : May 17-Sept. 7: KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art, at Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC. Admission (plus tax): Members Free. Tuesday Evenings (5pm-9pm) by donation. Adult $15. Senior (65+) $11. Student (with valid ID) $10. Children (5-12) $6. Children (4 and under) free. Family (max 2 adults + 2 children) $40. More info at < http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_krazy.html >

LYNNE FAHNESTALK ART SHOW: May – July: Art by Lynne Fahnestalk ( well known Canadian Fan Artist ) is on display ( and for sale ) at DRAGONSPACE located on Granville Island on a three month trial basis. She does neat & nifty stuff ( including – in the past – covers for BCSFAzine, Space Cadet, and ON SPEC magazine ), so drop by and take a look.

LOCAL CLUBS:

B.C. BROWNCOATS: The B.C. Browncoats, founded April 2004, are fans of Firefly and Serenity, created by Joss Whedon. 300 members. “Every Thursday from 8-10 PM we meet in the Canadian Browncoat’s Chat Room. New members are always welcome, so please come and join us for a chat!” Simply register at < http://p201.ezboard.com/bccanadianbrowncoats2932 > See < http://www.browncoats.ca/ > website for details & info, or The Vancouver Firefly/Serenity Meetup Group ( Vancouver ) at < http://firefly.meetup.com/12/ > “Grab a drink, pull up a chair and join us online! It’s free…and it’s FUN!”

B.C.S.F.A. – THE BRITISH COLUMBIA SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION: Founded 29 th January, 1970. Membership is now free! BCSFA holds a monthly social gathering at the home of the Treasurer, a ‘Feeding Frenzy’ get together at a different restaurant every month ( currently on hold ), a book discussion on a monthly basis at the ‘Our Town Café’, a monthly ‘Royal Swiss Navy Disorganization meeting’ at the home of BCFAzine editor Garth Spencer where random topics are picked out of a hat and hotly debated, and offers free monthly on-line issues of BCSFAzine ( or, if you have no computer access, a paper version at cost, availability severely limited ). Note: no point in checking out the BCSFA Club website listed below as it is currently frozen, not being updated, until a new website manager is chosen/volunteered/drafted. BCSFAZINE ADDRESSES : BCSFAZINE EDITOR ( submissions, letters of comment, trades ) – BCSFAzine, c/o Garth Spencer, P.O. Box 74122, Hillcrest Park, 4101 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5V 3P0. OR: email < [email protected] > ROYAL SWISS NAVY DISORGANIZATIONAL MEETING ( DISCUSSION GROUP ) : Saturday May 03 @ 8 pm at Garth Spencer’s place, 82 East 40 th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. Phone him at (778) 865-2372 for directions. An evening of conversation and debate on selected subjects. ( NOTE: the RSN website has been taken down; a new one is under construction.) BCSFAzine SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday May 16 – See Garth at Fred or send to Editor Addresses above. BCSFA MEETING & PARTY : Saturday May 17 @ 7pm at the Moore-Freeman home, 7064 No. 1 Road, Richmond, B.C. This week’s feature: A Night With A Dragon Lady: A Reading and Interview with Naomi Novik, recorded at Norwescon31 by Cosmic Ray Seredin. Phone (604) 277-0845 for directions. BCSFA BOOK DISCUSSION IN VANCOUVER : Thursday May 22 @ 7pm at the "Our Town" café, 245 East Broadway, Vancouver. The topic book will be “The Phoenix Exultant by John C. Wright, sequel to The Golden Age . BCSFAzine PRODUCTION: Friday May 30 th . See Garth at FRED for your paper copy. Trying to reduce the number of paper copies as much as possible. BCSFA SPONSORED WEB SITES : BCSFA CLUB WEB SITE: < http://www.bcsfa.net > ( Currently ‘frozen’ pending new site manager ) BCSFA YAHOO DISCUSSION GROUP: < http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bc_scifi_assc/ > CANADIAN FANCYCLOPEDIA: < http://members.shaw.ca/rgraeme/home.html >

B.I.F.F. MEETINGS ( Burrard Inlet Fan Fellowship ) – Every Friday ( except long weekends & VCON weekend ) @ 6:30 PM till closing time (officially 9:00 pm). A weekly social meeting for SF fans, founded June 11 th , 2005. Held at The Eighties Restaurant, 110 West 14 th Street ( at Lonsdale ) in North Vancouver. “There are no rules ( beyond the fact that the restaurant asks that anybody who comes orders some food, but as you can get something reasonable to eat for very little if funds are tight ), and there are no membership fees or dues ( although sometimes we ask for donations to cover some expenses ), and nobody is in charge ( things just sort of happen. )” Every BIFF event typically has a theme, be it a particular film, panel discussion, guest speaker, etc. For Example: “Eight BIFFenes turned out tonight for yet another edition of BIFF sans frontieres. As expected, the conversation was eclectic: spoilers about episodes of Battlestar Galactica and other shows that aren't even in the can yet, promising film and TV projects that never made it onto the screen, different varieties of vampires and the rules they live by, what to name Baby BIFF, wardrobe malfunctions at work, neti pots and dribbling from your nose for fun and profit, how green is your workspace, how Sealab 2020 fandom is taking over by stealth... you know, boring stuff. Really.” To find out what is currently planned for the near future ( usually on relatively short notice ), please check the BIFF web site at: < http://biff.realityfree.ca/ >

FANCOUVER: VANCOUVER SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY MEETUP – Vancouver, B.C. Founded Sept 21, 2005. 118 Members. “Meet fellow Sci-fi/Fantasy Fans near you! Come to a local Sci-fi/Fantasy Meetup to have fun talking science fiction and fantasy in literature, media, gaming and art. Who knows, maybe we'll hit a convention too!” For details & info: < http://scifi.meetup.com/278/ >

F.R.E.D. MEETINGS – Every Friday @ 8:00 PM. F.R.E.D. stands for “F*** Reality, Everybody Drink”, a weekly social meeting for SF fans, founded May 3 rd , 1979. Currently held at Boston Pizza, 1333 West Broadway @ Hemlock ( 2 blocks East of Granville ), Vancouver. Note: Keeper of the FRED Ryan Hawe reports: “Although FRED has always been more or less its own event, its history has been linked to that of BCSFA ( and WCSFA -- but that's another story ) until very recently. And I suspect many BCSFA folk would be surprised to hear me add the last part.” “But the thing of it is, over the past few years we've seen a shift in attendance. And this is by no means a bad thing, for it has enabled FRED to become available to many new people, and reach out to what is now a fragmented fandom.” “But with the recent changes in BCSFA, to say nothing of its own promotional concerns, it occurred to me to ask whether the idea of an overarching umbrella of fandom wasn't still a good idea, and whether I should make some attempt at bringing people together, not just for dinner but for something longer.” “I know I'm not the only one to think along these lines, of course, but on my own front I shall do what I can.” For info see < http://www.facebook.com/group.php > or contact Ryan Hawe, Keeper of the FRED, at < [email protected] >

MONSTER ATTACK TEAM CANADA “This group is mostly for members to keep up with the latest events and happening for the club. MONSTER ATTACK is situated in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, and while anyone is welcome to join to stay up with club events, the primary interest will be to members and those thinking of coming to a Monster Attack - Canada event in Vancouver B.C. or the Lower Mainland. At the same time, we want to answer as many questions as we can for people interested in SF, FANTASY, ANIME, and MONSTER modeling - and encourage people to use the site to pose questions about kit building. Think of this as an online clubhouse as well as an info site - and PLEASE ASK AWAY!” For details & info: < http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonsterAttackTeamCanada/?yguid=8788 >

MONSTER FIGHTERS ONLINE CLUB ( of Monster Attack Team Canada ) “This Group is for anyone who wants to talk Science fiction and Fantasy films, Figure Garage kits, Monster toys, DVDs, up-coming films, and just plain cool stuff! PLEASE: this is a place to have FUN!!! It's about the love of the hobby, not about flaming someone who feels differently than you do. Please try to express your opinions in a way that is respectful of others' opinions. Let's talk monsters!” Every month a MOTM ( Monster of the month ) topic is chosen. “Monster of the Month is designed to inspire Monster Fighters to study their enemies. Sometime during November watch the MOTM . . . then post comments, reviews, thoughts, or pictures to the clubhouse.” The MOTM is announced at the beginning of each month. November’s was MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ( 1961 ), Oct: IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA ( 1956 ), Sept: ATRAGON ( 1963 ), etc. “We're still hungry for info on models, toys, pictures and other cool stuff devoted to those monsters. Scan the web, search the world, and deliver the results of your searches back here!” For details & info:< http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/MonsterFighters >

USS MAJESTIC NCC-78601 ( REGION 10 STARFLEET ) This Star Trek vessel is the flagship for Region 10 Starfleet ( see non-local clubs ), and is based in Victoria, B.C. About 18 members listed. “Like many ships, our crew is diverse and has a variety of interests, but for us on board USS Majestic our major activities include social events such as watching movies, hiking, games and short story writing.” Recently began publishing a monthly newsletter titled ‘Majestic Mews’ available online. For details & info: < http://www.uss-majestic.org/ >

NON-LOCAL CANADIAN CLUBS:

FREDERICTON SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY: “Along with our official meetings, members of the group congregate on Monday Nights for a gathering at Tingley's Traditions/Quiznos on Dundonald Street, Fredericton, NB. The times vary, especially during the summer months, but generally anytime after 8:00pm until closing at 10:00pm.”

“The FSFS also helps in the volunteering at Communicon , which is a local gaming convention held the last weekend in January. Though it is a separate entity from the FSFS, it is run by two of the club members and many of the club participate in one facet or another.” For details & info see < http://www.celtic-dragon.ca/fsfswebsitemain.html >

K.I.D.C. – KLINGON IMPERIAL DIPLOMATIC CORPS: “World’s largest & most popular Klingon cultural website… dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Klingon culture and society here on Earth. On this award-winning website, you will find over 225 pages of Klingon data; info on the KIDC, Klingon rituals, ceremonies and traditions, intergalactic cuisine, Klingon fashion and costuming, ships and weaponry; as well as popular discussion forums, numerous Klingon-related mailing lists, and more…” “The KIDC is an independent and neutral Klingon organization that does not get involved in intra-club political disputes or disagreements. We believe that a Klingon is a Klingon, no matter what organization, club or group they belong to or are affiliated with. We hope to serve as a central resource of Klingon cultural information to all Klingons, regardless of their background.” “Our headquarters is the Klingon Imperial Embassy , based in the Montreal Sector of Canada… The KIDC has many different departments and sections; one of which you will be assigned based on your qualifications and your career preference. Each of our members chooses a Klingon name and puts together a character or persona that fits plausibly within the generally accepted view of the Klingon Empire within the period of The Grand Alliance.” “Depending on your location on the globe, there are many different ways of participating in the club. We highly encourage interaction between member's characters both through role-playing and through real-life communications via regular snail mail, e-mail and participation in our many Klingon related mailing lists as well as our Klingon Imperial Forums . Members can also become involved in Klingon cultural research, assisting with website maintenance, recruiting and promotion, organizing display tables at conventions, club fund-raising, and organizing or assisting in charitable events.” For details & info: < http://www.klingon.org >

MARITIME SCIENCE FICTION MODELERS: “The Maritime Science Fiction Modelers consists of about 20 model builders who enjoy the realm of Science Fiction model subjects. We now have members in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.” “Formed in 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the group gathers once a month to discuss the sci-fi modeling world, talk about new science fiction movies and television, and swap model building techniques. At our meetings, we are able to work on our latest model, or we can show off our most recent modeling triumph.” “Many members of the group are involved in promoting the model building hobby, and we have had models in several model contests, museum exhibits, science fiction conventions, local television and movie theatre lobbies.” “It wasn't until 2002 that we finally put a website together so that more than just the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada could see what we were up to. Enjoy your visit!” For details & info see: < http://msfm.seryan.com/ >

MonSFFA – THE MONTREAL SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ASSOCIATION: “MonSFFA a club for fans of the science fiction and fantasy genres. We are your connection to the SF/F community, local, national and international. We have been active since 1987. Our areas of interest span the full spectrum of the SF/F universe: literature, movies, television, comics, gaming, art, animation, scale-model building, costuming, memorabilia collecting, film/video production and more!” MonSFFA is probably the most active SF club in Canada, with a healthy membership base, event-packed club activity, the monthly newsletter IMPULSE ( available for download ) and a quarterly clubzine WARP ( members only download, or discretion of editor ).Their website is well worth checking out for the downloadable fan films BEAVRA, MOOSE MAN, and THE SIMPLETON’S LIFE. For details & info: < http://www.monsffa.com/ >

OSFA – THE OTTAWA SCIENCE SOCIETY: “The Ottawa Science Fiction Society is an organization of fans of science fiction, fantasy and other speculative fiction in its various forms, whether in prose novels or comics, television or motion pictures, hardcopy or software. OSFS is the oldest operating science fiction club in Ottawa: Founded in 1977 and incorporated in 1979.” “Our regular monthly meetings are usually held at the Dalhousie Community Centre at 775 Somerset St. W. at 2 PM on the last Sunday of each month, except during summer hiatus.” “Our regular newsletter, the OSFS Statement, is published monthly. OSFS members receive hardcopies by mail.” For details & info: < http://osfs.ncf.ca/ >

SFL - SCIENCE FICTION LONDON: “Science Fiction London (SFL) evolved out of an earlier club called Star Trek Ontario, founded in 1980 by a group of Star Trek fans. Science Fiction London (SFL) is a group of science fiction enthusiasts living in and around London, Ontario, Canada. We meet monthly in London to discuss science fiction. We also get together occasionally for social events like movie days and barbecues.” “To get the most out of the meetings, you should read the book that we will be discussing prior to the meeting, assuming that the topic is a book. The schedule of upcoming meetings can be found in the Meeting Topics section of this Website. Please note that if the topic is a film, the meeting will include a showing of the film prior to the discussion so you won't need to prepare ahead of time. If the topic is a theme, there may or may not be reading that you should do before you attend the meeting; in that case, the details will be displayed in the Meeting Topics page.” “Our meetings take place at the Central Branch of the London Public Library at 251 Dundas Street between Wellington and Clarence Streets. Meetings about books will be held in the Tonda Room. Meetings about films will take place in the Stevenson and Hunt Room, which is beside the Tonda Room. Both rooms are on the first floor of the Central Branch.” For details & info: < http://sfl.london.on.ca/ >

STARFLEET REGION 10: “Starfleet was founded by Star Trek enthusiasts in 1974 and has become an international fan organization whose members ( 4000 + ) are united the world over in their appreciation of Star Trek. Hundreds of chapters worldwide link members into local fandom as well as the international organization.” “Region 10 encompasses the geopolitical areas of Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon. Includes Starships: USS Majestic ( Victoria, B.C. ), USS SOL ( Alaska ), & USS Bondar (?). For details & info: < http://www.10thfleet.org/ >

CANADIAN SCI-FI FACEBOOK SITES:

CANADIAN FANDOM: You guessed it! A Canada-wide Facebook devoted to Sci-Fi fans, actors, artists, authors, concom, costumers, panelists, sfx people, fan writers, zine editors and all kinds other imaginative people. 143 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3198365242 >

CANADIAN UNITY FAN FUND (CUFF): A discussion group for fen who want to promote CUFF, the Cdn fan fund which sends an Eastern fan to a Western con/Canvention ( Aurora Awards ) & West to East in alternating years for sake of Cdn fannish unity. 10 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6119342503 >

F.R.E.D. ( FORGET REALITY ENJOY DRINKING ): This is a Facebook for a Vancouver centred social club which has been meeting weekly at local watering holes since 1979. Sci-Fi orientated. ( See also F.R.E.D. under Local Clubs. ) 56 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2351668529 >

MONTREAL FANDOM: “A celebration and gathering of all past and present members of Montreal Fandom, as well as their many friends throughout the world.” 35 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3433145295 >

OTTAWA FANDOM: A Facebook for Ottawa fans & anyone interested in keeping in touch with them. 28 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3254325206 >

SCI-FI ON THE ROCK II: A Facebook for concom, attendees & fans of SCI-FI ON THE ROCK, Newfoundland’s annual Sci-Fi convention, founded 2007. 76 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4107298179 >

VANCOUVER FANDOM: A Facebook for Vancouver & Lower Mainland fans & all those interested in knowing them. 33 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2399759573 >

VCON: A Facebook for concom, attendees, & fans of VCON, Canada’s longest-running ongoing Sci-Fi Convention ( founded 1971 ). Held annually Vancouver/Lower Mainland area. ( Next VCON will be #33 in October 2008. ) 96 members. < http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2315972840 >

CANADIAN SCI-FI WEBSITES OF INTEREST:

CANADIAN FANCYCLOPEDIA: This is a ‘work in progress’ project I’ve been working on for more than a decade. Essentially my working notes for an A to Z ‘Incompleat Guide to the History of Twentieth Century Canadian Science Fiction Fandom’. It is my intention to list and describe every Canadian Sci-Fi fanzine, club & organization since the 1930s as well as explain and detail fannish slang, custom, lore and legend. Granted, most of the traditions which form the underlying infrastructure of ‘fandom’ originated in the United States and Great Britain, but I include as much Canadian material as possible as I stumble across it in my research. For example, only Canadian zines are described. Don’t have the time or space to detail foreign zines. So yes, a world-wide Fancyclopedia, but focused on Canadian fannish history. NOTE: Sometimes people visiting my site, instead of finding the latest A-Z version, hit upon an earlier version that is merely A-C. Don’t know why. Solution is simple. Click on ‘C’ to get the page dealing with ‘C’ subjects. At the top of the page where it says “Go to E or back to Main Page ”, click on ‘E’ and it will take you to the ‘E’ page and also magically jump to the latest A-Z version so that you can now jump to any page. Weird. So rest assured, the Canadian Fancyclopedia is NOT stuck in limbo but is in fact updated on a quasi-regular basis. On the Main Page just click on ‘Info on Updates’ for a list of the latest addition. < http://members.shaw.ca/rgraeme/home.html >

CANADIAN SF -- THE CANADIAN SPECULATIVE FICTION FORUM: “Fans, publishers, and authors of Canadian SF are welcome to join the discussion of speculative fiction. Log on and chat about science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, or any combination of the genres that make up the varied landscape of speculative fiction in Canada.” • Know of a convention, reading, or other event? Post it on our coming events board . • Have you just published or discovered a new science fiction or fantasy story? Announce it here ! • Want to discuss Canadian science fiction or fantasy ? • Chat about science fiction and fantasy literature for children. • Or click here for an overview of forum topics. For details & info: < http://www.pippin.ca/cgi-bin/YaBB/SF/ >

FANDOM.CA: “Before Fandom.ca was a website, it was a protest. In 2000, a company calling themselves Fandom, Inc. attempted to register a trademark on the word "fandom". Their application was denied, as "fandom" was a word in common usage since its first appearance in Webster's Dictionary in 1903. Despite not actually having a trademark, Fandom, Inc. began legal proceedings against a fan who owned another website… The fraudulant legal exploits of Fandom, Inc. caused Science Fiction fans all over the world to begin registering domain names with the word "fandom" in them to keep those domain names out of unscrupulous corporate hands. Seeing such a need, I registered Fandom.ca with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority .” “Then, in February 2002, the development started, and here is the result. Like all good websites, it's a work in continual progress. I hope to make it part information resource, and part weblog. In either of these areas, if there is some information I have missed, that should be known to all fandom, please feel free to contact me with links to information of interest. With help from fandom at large, this will hopefully become one of the better fannish resources available.” Andrew C. Murdoch < http://www.fandom.ca/ >

OOK, OOK, SLOBBER, DROOL!

NOTE: BECAUSE I’M WAY LATE WITH THIS ISSUE AND AM ANXIOUS TO POST IT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY I HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON ANY OF THESE LETTERS. SOME READERS MAY CONSIDER THIS AN IMPROVEMENT. I PROMISE TO NATTER MINDLESSLY NEXT ISSUE.

From: ED BEAUREGARD , March 30 th 2008

Hi Graeme,

I finally got around to looking at WSCFAzine. I like the reviews of cons and fanzines from days of yore. One 46 suggestion: there is lots of source material available if you have questions about what happened or why an Elron was awarded. Al has tape recordings of just about every event at Vcon's from #3 on. That was how he got involved in Vancouver fandom - David George asked him to come to VCon 3 to record the events. Unfortunately, those are on open reel, so hopefully some day there will be an effort to convert those old recordings to a digital format. I have gone through Al's video tapes of early VCons and converted them to DVD. There are a couple events recorded from VCon 6 and then a fair bit of the subsequent VCon's were filmed. For VCon 6, Al used his old ex-CBC massive black and white TV camera. Later VCon's he had a colour camera. Al and I both bought the first VHS video recorder to come out with 4 hour capability - the RCA VBT200 - in October 1977. That was too late for Westercon 30 but we could record events at VCon 6.

Your confusion over the VCon 6 Elron's prompted me to search through hundreds of those ancient storage devices called cassettes and pull out the recording of the VCon 6 Elron speech. I have converted it to MP3, though it will be a bit choppy since this was a rush job. Go to source, as they say. The Star Wars concert was a William Shatner ripoff held at the Colliseum, which enabled him to extract some cash from gullible people. It involved some classical music (Holst), him reading about whales, and a pathetic light show. When I figure out how to get the MP3 file to you (it is 26Mb, so larger than I can send) you'll be able to hear the whole thing.

When I converted the VCon video tapes to DVD, I made 3 copies. One to keep, one for Al and one for the archives. If those aren't in the archives, let me know.

From: JOHN PURCELL , April 3rd 2008

You are still at it, I see. Bigger and better is good, as far as fanzines go, and I am sure there are other items that come to mind with that phrase. For now, let us stick with it as applied to fanzines.

Graeme, you continue to amaze me with the information you are unearthing about early Canadian fans. I think I have heard of Fred Hurter, Jr. before, but not totally sure of that. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to read of Fred and his early fanzines. I had no idea how spread out Canadian fandom was in those days, and your article certainly cemented that fact hard into my brain. I learn more each issue about the early (almost typed "eerie") years of Canadian fandom.

The retro V-Con 2 report was interesting, too. My minor at Iowa State University was in Russian Studies, and I do remember reading a bit of Belyaev back then; unfortunately, exactly what I read I can't recall exactly. Oh, well. This article is a good refresher and reference listing of what to look for in the TAMU library or on-line. (I love browsing libraries in person; I could wander the stacks for hours on end.) And it must have been very cool to have Philip K. Dick as the Guest of Honour. Awesome writer; great picture of him in this issue, too. I would have to agree with your sentiment that Dick would be fascinated by "today's computer hackers" (as you so succinctly put it) and equally as depressed at how accurate his statements have become. That would croggle my mind but good.

It is good to know that CUFF is still running. Being way the heck down here in SouthCentralEastern Texas, even basic news about the various fan funds takes a while to wend its way on the news-lines. Sometimes I swear Texas still uses Pony Express for mail delivery. That goes for e-mail, too!

Now you're having your zine run filk-song lyrics. This sets a dangerous precedent, Graeme, one that you may never recover from. "What Shall we do with the Drunken Liberals" is a good one to start with, I must admit, but Ghu only knows what's gonna come next. I would be very afraid, if I were you...

It is obvious that the Bob Gibson you wrote about is not the same Bob Gibson who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals for many years and set numerous pitching records. Nope. Not the same person.

Thank you also for the brief synopsis about the true genesis and history of Roscoe. I was never a TruBeliever of Roscoe, although Stu Shiffman did contribute a wonderful illo for my old zine This House that had Roscoe on the obverse side of an ancient coin. Now we have Art Rapp's wonderful filk song published for future fen to enjoy and marvel over. What a wonderful world we live in.

Man, you come up with a wealth of info about Canadian fans and writers and events there, hey, dont'cha know? Yah...

Being a fan of the old television series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet is a wonderful reason to name a fanzine. Makes perfectly good sense to me. And this is coming from the guy who named one of his 1980s fanzines Banqweulu after a lake in South Africa, or something like that. What really happened was that I spun a globe and jabbed my finger onto it, with the intent to name my zine after whatever my finger landed upon. Lake Bangweulu was that lucky winner. Of such stuff are fannish dreams made... 47

In your brief loccol, Lloyd Penney mentions that you are now getting articles from James Bacon. Obviously, marriage has not slowed the lad down, as many of us had hoped.

Also, thank you for the elaboration on Phil Dick's GoHship at V-Con and his general condition at that time. Now I can't wait to read the next installment of the V-Con 2 report.

Time to close up shop and all that rot. Many thanks again for the fine issue, Graeme, and I hope to see you some time in the near future.

From: LYNNE FAHNESTALK , April 7 th , 2008

Hi, there,

Just a note to let you know that my artwork is now at Dragonspace on Granville Island. I'm there on a 3-month trial basis to see if there is any interest so tell all your friends to rush down there and ask to look at my stuff. :)

From: LLOYD PENNEY , April 8 th 2008

Dear Graeme:

Now that I’ve hacked out an Ad Astra trip report, let’s see if I can come up with a loc for WCSFAzine 8.

The Aurora ballot is now available through Clint Budd’s Aurora website. Seeing that WCSFAzine is not a clubzine, it can be nominated for Fan Achievement (Fanzine)? It looks like Dale Speirs is going to get himself another Aurora, but our problem in future years is to find a variety of candidates for the trophy.

Hey, the Primedia weekend was a fun weekend, wasn’t it? Hard to believe it 15 years ago, too. I don’t recall Mike Glicksohn wearing a beret, but when he wasn’t wearing a bushhat, he would wear a baseball cap. One of the media guests was Richard Biggs, the doctor from Babylon 5. Biggs died a few years after that convention, but he was friendly and seemed to be genuinely interested in what was going on, especially with the Auroras. I’ll make further comments with further parts.

I hope the folks in Montreal know about their original Montreal SF Society in 1946. Seeing that MonSFFA celebrated its 20 th anniversary this past December, they have some sense of history.

We’re certain that Lance will do a fine job as the next CUFF delegate. I hope he has been informed of all his responsibilities with the fan fund, and those who chose him should know just how busy Lance is, with his responsibilities with Polaris and Anticipation, among others. Will Peter Jarvis be producing a trip report? I have yet to hear anything about it.

The mention of the British Interplanetary Society reminds me of the recent passing of Sir Arthur C. Clarke. He may have had the fannish nickname of Ego, but his friends in the fledgling BIS nicknamed him Rockets.

So, membership in BCSFA will be free from now on? This may be a direction other clubs may have to take. OSFS’s Statement is available to members and others on the e-mailing list. The Statement is available on paper, but I get it via my e-mail. MonSFFA is still able to publish Warp on paper…issue 69 arrived a couple of days ago.

Comments on Glen Larsen and the original Battlestar Galactica…Larson was a practicing Mormon, and some of the terminology and ideas behind the original BG came from that book. I guess you really do write what you know.

I’d love to be able to go to SciFi On The Rock in St. John’s. Before, I never knew there was any conventions ever held east of Halifax. We will be going to Eeriecon 10 for a day, moderating a panel on fanzines, and then we’re off to Corflu Silver for a holiday.

I do not believe there is a Browncoat group in Toronto. If there is, they don’t publicize well. They probably surface just in time for Polaris.

There are so many Facebook sites, websites, and more to keep track of…it’s difficult to do. I kind of faded away with my convention list, but it seems that I may have to resurrect it, and see what I can do. 48

Ad Astra started in 1980, and then number II in the series was in 1982. It meshed with the Draconis series of conventions here. It missed a year because of hotel problems, but to the best of our calculations, this past Ad Astra was the 27 th . It looks like we’re fully rejoining the Ad Astra committee. I like to think that TST ’76 was the ancestor of Toronto Trek Celebration/Toronto Trek/Polaris.

GVSTAcon was a convention staged by the Georges Vanier Secondary School Star Trek Association (GVSTA) in 1978 or 1979, and it was chaired by Kevin Davies, now a professional artists and game designer. Kevin even ran the filk track at Ad Astra this year.

I must leave early this evening to drop off some flyers at Bakka-Phoenix Books, so off this goes to you, snarf down some dinner, and get out of here by 5:30. Let’s see how I can do. Take care, and see you next issue!

From: ED BEAUREGARD , April 11 th 2008

The process for recording the audio tapes is fairly straightforward. The appropriate tape recorder is set up to play the tapes, and an audio cable is used to connect Line Out from the tape recorder to Line In on a PC. Various programs are available to transfer input audio into a WAV or MP3 format. Sound Recorder (which comes free with Windows, and worth every penny you pay for it) is the most basic way of doing it, but other programs (free and shareware) do a much better job.

It would require Al to make some room in his house for this process (not a trivial task) and dig out the tapes. Oh, and the fact that this transfer occurs in real-time, so you'd have to spend as much time as the original events took.

At one Vcon some years back, Al prepared a catalog of audio tapes from prior Vcon's, and was going to take orders and create copies on cassette, but no one was interested.

I'll see about making more copies of the VCon DVD's. I have done all videotaped events up to (and including) VCon 12, so there's still a lot more to do.

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